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SUV Driver Shoots at Model 3 for No Reason - Is Tesla Hating Getting Violent?

There aren't that many sensible reasons to fire a gun at another car in the first place. Has the driver kidnapped your kids and ran away? If so, by all means, shoot away, just make sure your aim is good because, you know, precious cargo and all that.
GMC Envoy driver shoots at Tesla Model 3 4 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
GMC Envoy driver shoots at Tesla Model 3GMC Envoy driver shoots at Tesla Model 3GMC Envoy driver shoots at Tesla Model 3
In almost any other situation, using a handgun seems like an overreaction, and we're pretty sure the police would agree. Actually, we're more than just "pretty sure" because the law is actively looking for an SUV driver who did just that the previous Tuesday on Interstate 24.

According to the Tesla driver - and since the GMC Envoy driver is nowhere to be found, that's the only account of the incident we have right now - the man opened fire for no apparent reason and without any provocation, which is what makes the case even stranger.

However, unprovoked acts of violence or aggression aimed toward EV owners are nothing new. Coal rolling has been around ever since the Toyota Prius hybrid was still a thing, and now that battery-powered cars are taking over, a new method of harassing their drivers was invented: ICE-ing. That's blocking access to a charging station by parking an ICE (internal combustion engine) car in the reserved spot.

Instead of hating, these people would be better off studying their "enemy." If they did that, they would know the Model 3 and Model Y are fitted with a myriad of cameras covering all angles. These cameras are there to help the vehicle navigate on its own, but they're also recording at all times, making the two electric models the worst possible targets to do anything illegal against. If you don't want to be caught, that is.

Luckily for everyone involved - GMC driver included, considering it would have affected his sentence - nobody was injured. However, the shots did hit the electric vehicle, which means the man in the SUV could potentially be charged with attempted murder.

The real question here is what drove the GMC driver to do something like this? Given the very serious implications and the claim that it was all out of the blue, it seems like EV hatred can't possibly be a valid reason. There's definitely more to this story than the very few facts suggest right now, and the authorities will probably get to the bottom of it once the suspect - who now has a $1,000 cash reward on his head - is apprehended. In the meantime, stay safe out there and don't shoot other cars.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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