A photo of a Tesla marked with spray paint posted on Reddit with the caption 'Ouch, spotted on Ponsonby Road this morning.' Photo: Supplied / Reddit
A man is in police custody after reports of electric vehicles being targeted by a spray-paint vandal in Auckland suburbs.
Cars including Teslas and a Polestar electric vehicle were reportedly spray-painted late at night, the New Zealand Herald has reported, with a man captured on CCTV footage with a can of spray paint in one hand.
Several other victims have reportedly come forward.
Images have been shared on social media of a Tesla parked on Ponsonby road with a spray-painted windshield.
Police told RNZ on Tuesday evening that a 52-year-old man was in custody in relation to wilful damage reports and charges were being considered.
Police earlier said that they were investigating six complaints of damage to vehicles in Mount Eden, Freemans Bay, Grey Lynn and Ponsonby on Sunday night.
Tesla, owned by the world's richest man Elon Musk, has become the target of protests and vandalism around the world in recent days due to Musk's close association with US President Donald Trump and the massive job cuts Musk has embarked on in the US government workforce.
Tesla stocks dropped dramatically today over concerns about Trump and the economy. Tesla closed down 15.4 percent on Monday.
After the US presidential election in November, shares of Tesla surged. However, Tesla stock is down almost 45 percent this year, wiping out its gains since November.
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