‘It has escalated quite a bit’

Cyber ​​truck drivers across the country report increased harassment on roads and in parking lots, with some confrontations even escalating to physical attacks. electric vehicles, KTVB reported.

Len Andersen, an Uber driver in Boise, Idaho, waited four and a half years to get his Cybertruck. He told the news outlet 11 months after he started using the device that he faces hostility every day.

“Driving a Cybertruck for probably the last two or three months… I was bullied just like I was in grade school,” he said. “I’ve never felt this way since I was a kid. This has increased a lot since Elon Musk’s politics.”

Once at a traffic light, “a guy got out of his truck and came up to my truck and punched it,” he said. Other drivers reported people making aggressive greetings, throwing objects, scratching vehicles and shouting obscenities.

By the way Vandalism caused $114,000 in damage to the Tesla service center in Meridian in April, according to the Idaho Press. Sixteen new Cybertrucks were spray-painted and the word “Nazi” was written all over the building.

Such harassment can threaten progress toward cleaner transportation. Electric vehicles play a critical role in reducing reliance on dirty energy sources, and drivers may be discouraged from switching to electric if they face intimidation about their vehicle choices.

The harassment appears to stem mostly from political backlash against Tesla CEO Elon Musk. These attacks could dwarf the environmental benefits of all EVs, as even those with the dirtiest batteries are cleaner than any gas-powered vehicle. Mining materials for batteries requires the extraction of millions of tonnes of materials each year, while the oil and gas industry mines billions of tonnes of fossil fuels each year.

Fortunately, as major automakers expand their electric product ranges, charging infrastructure continues to expand. next vehicle EV is an easier choice than ever.

It’s important to remember that we’re all on the same side when it comes to the health of the planet.

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