Arts

Techno World: Tesla Motors v. The New York Times

by Justin Schapker

A dispute between Tesla Motor CEO, Elon Musk, and the New York Times has brewed because of a road test done on the Tesla Model S sedan.
The Tesla Model S is a full-sized electric four-door sports car with a price ranging from $57,000-$95,000.
The disagreement started on February 10, when Times reporter John Broder wrote an article about a road test he did in the Model S sedan from Washington D.C. to Connecticut. However, the trip ended with the Tesla Model S being loaded onto a tow truck.
Broder said that the car’s battery range dropped off in the cold weather, and this led to him having to turn down the heat and slowing down the car, and in the end even that didn’t keep the car from dying.
Musk responded to the Broder’s article by publishing a blog post titled “A Most Peculiar Test Drive.” Musk’s post included data that was gathered from the computer of the Model S driven by Broder. Contrary to what Broder had reported in his article, Musk said that Broder never ran out of power during his test drive, and he never turned down the heat despite being warned it would drain his battery power.
Musk went on to say that Broder went to Manhattan and gave his brother a ride. Then he drove the car in circles in a parking lot. And on top of everything else he didn’t let the car fully charge.
Broder responded back on February 14 in Wheels, an automotive newspaper, saying “The car did not have enough power to move. I couldn’t even release the electronic parking brake.”
Some Internet commentators have even alleged that Broder is “in bed” with big oil companies, and this is why he has skewed the test drive of the Model S. But Broder sticks to his results, saying they are completely accurate.
The dispute may never be resolved, but the report by Broder came at bad time for Tesla Motor because they boosted production of the Model S.
Supporters of the auto manufacturer believe the statements made by the Tesla CEO, but those who are unsure of electric powered cars may be more skeptical with this article from the New York Times.