Owning a Tesla has become risky business in some parts of the world as arson attacks are getting more common, but what this Tesla owner experienced in Washington on Saturday is probably the worst we have seen yet.
A Tesla Model S owner by the name of J.R. Harriston has shared footage of his vehicle being set alight by a random arsonist with no clear motive outside of the simple fact it was a Tesla.
According to the owner, the blaze took place around 12:40am and was recorded by the vehicle’s Sentry Mode, a built-in alarm and security monitoring system that constantly records the surrounding environments of all Teslas which have it enabled.
Although it does drain the battery faster than if the vehicle was parked with it turned off, in this instance it seems to have not only captured the attack in full, but to survive and upload the footage as the vehicle burned to a crisp.
The newfound dislike of Tesla electric vehicles appears to be a uniquely American thing so far, with some owners planning to sell their vehicles due to CEO Elon Musk’s recent antics.
People who don’t like the brand have also been doing everything from stuffing steaks into EV charging stations to protesting EV charging points with their fossil-fuelled trucks (ICEing).
The Sentry Mode system in Teslas has caused privacy concerns for some, not just because the vehicle can essentially be used as a camera system in any public location (legal in Australia, but not if parked in private property and without consent), but also because Tesla employees have shared images captured from customer cars without permission.
Have you had a case of anti-EV sentiment in Australia? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.
