Bay Area dog trainer Josh Beckler stumbled upon an unusual sight last Sunday on his way to the gym. As he pulled his Tesla into the parking lot of a Target complex in Vallejo, he noticed the row of supercharging stations had been vandalized.
A row of Tesla superchargers are seen at the Tesla factory in Fremont. Reports nationwide have cited several instances of individuals clipping cords out of Tesla supercharging stations, increasingly leaving electric vehicle drivers stranded without a charge.
Taking out his phone, he recorded a video as he walked down the row of 20 stations, highlighting that every charging cable that connects power to the electric vehicles had been cut.
“You would think that it’s a protest or some symbol of activism,” Beckler said with a chuckle in the video. “But it’s not. It’s the Bay Area.” Pausing to display the end of a severed cord, he speculated, “These things have a little copper in them. They’re recycling them and cashing in.”
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By the time Beckler finished his workout, he said he found yellow tape surrounding the charging stations and Target security personnel were investigating the scene. The Vallejo Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for more information about the apparent vandalism.
Since posting the video to his k9optima account on TikTok last week, it has amassed approximately 320,000 views and counting.
Beckler told the Chronicle that he wasn’t surprised by the discovery. With 17 years of experience as an investigator for Home Depot, Beckler regularly pursued thieves who stripped copper from the store’s generators.
“If it were a protest, they wouldn’t have taken the cords because they’re extremely heavy,” he said. “They hauled about 250 pounds of hose. There’s also a small control box on the stations, and they took those too.”
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According to Scrap Monster, copper scrap material fetches approximately $3 per pound in the East Bay.
Reports nationwide have cited several instances of individuals clipping cords out of Tesla supercharging stations, increasingly leaving electric vehicle drivers stranded without a charge. The California Energy Commission estimates there are approximately 10,000 Tesla supercharging stations across California.
Reach Aidin Vaziri: avaziri@sfchronicle.com
