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Foxes could be to blame after dozens of cars in a Dublin neighbourhood were damaged.
Around 40 electric vehicles in the south of the city have been left damaged with bills totalling tens of thousands of euros, according to Irish national news broadcaster RTE.
Wildlife experts speaking to the broadcaster have suggested wildlife such as foxes may be the cause.
The damage is proving so costly that some residents have surrounded their cars with chicken wire to protect them.
The problems began in August when a resident of the Stillorgan housing estate, Garret O’Connor, found he was unable to start his car in the morning.
“I turned on my ignition and got warning lights and sensor lights,” he told RTE. “I brought my car to the mechanic, and he said these wires underneath your car have been severed.
“And it transpired that various other neighbours had had the same problem, my next-door neighbour and beyond. To begin with, I suspected vandalism.”
It later transpired that up to 40 cars locally have been damaged, costing an estimated €40,000.
To help prevent damage, the South Dublin residents have resorted to wrapping their cars in chicken wire and fencing.
Biodiversity Officer at Trinity College Dublin, Collie Ennis, told RTE: “Foxes and rodents, maybe pine martins. They are attracted to the heat. They’re attracted to anything they can chew, like your dog chews your couch chair in your home.”
“There are new parts in cars that are made up of organic materials that are even more attractive to the likes of rodents who will actually make a meal out of them, especially in newer cars.
“The way to kind of defend your car against this is to invest in some sleeve covers, some chew-proof sleeve covers for all those cables, all those tubes, and that will prevent the animals from having a nibble on your brand new motor.”