Almost Half of Tesla Owners Say Their Cars Have Been Damaged Intentionally

Tesla owners corroborate they are being targeted, astir often successful the south

Tesla vehicles person go lightning rods for people’s disdain for CEO Elon Musk, with galore simply mocking oregon ridiculing drivers. A caller study suggests immoderate are taking it a measurement further; astir fractional of the respondents accidental their vehicles person been “intentionally damaged,” with a bulk of the reports coming from the south. Further, astir three-quarters of Tesla drivers consciousness they’re astatine hazard of being targeted successful the future.

Guardian Service besides reports that implicit fractional of Tesla owners accidental their security premiums person risen, whether their conveyance was damaged oregon not. Though galore stay blessed with their Teslas, 19 percent are present rethinking their determination to bargain a Tesla alternatively of the myriad different electrified options from different automakers.

Tesla damage, by the numbers

Though Tesla banal has continued to ascent steadily implicit the past fewer months, this survey suggests onlookers are inactive displeased with Elon Musk and are taking it retired connected Tesla owners. Forty-four percent of Tesla owners study their vehicles person been intentionally damaged, with 46 percent of those reports coming from the south. 22 percent of Tesla owners successful the northeast study their Teslas person seen purposeful harm done, portion 21 percent retired westbound study the same. The Midwest remains the “safest” spot to ain a Tesla, with lone 11 percent of owners determination reporting damage.

A afloat 72 percent of Tesla owners accidental they “believe they’re much apt to beryllium targeted for vandalism than different drivers.” Fifty-four percent of owners accidental they person installed oregon enabled video surveillance connected their vehicles retired of fear, with 21 percent reporting they already had surveillance enabled. Twenty-five percent of respondents to the survey accidental they person caught idiosyncratic purposefully damaging their vehicle.

According to those who accidental their cars were damaged, the mean repair measure is $1,900. Gen Z Tesla drivers look to look the astir hostility, arsenic sixty-one percent of Tesla owners successful this property bracket accidental their cars were damaged intentionally, with an mean repair measure for this property scope being $2,113. Millennials and older drivers paid person to $1,730.

Sixty-one percent of Tesla drivers accidental their security premiums person risen, with the mean yearly summation astatine $340. Over fractional - 53 percent - accidental they expect their security premiums to emergence this year, too. Beyond the existent damage, 43 percent of Tesla owners study radical gesturing rudely toward them oregon giving them soiled looks arsenic they drove by. As a effect of the damage, gestures, and looks, 66 percent of Tesla drivers consciousness anxiousness leaving their cars unattended, and 60 percent accidental concerns implicit vandalism person led them to debar driving arsenic overmuch oregon debar definite areas altogether.

Final thoughts

It’s intolerable to genuinely cognize different person’s mindset, but causation and correlation are beardown here. If Elon’s actions genuinely are spurring this spate of crime. In that case, it's regrettable that people’s feelings astir him are manifested arsenic damaging different person’s property.