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Tesla has a misinformation problem, and silence may no longer be enough
During the first quarter earnings call, Lars Moravy, Tesla’s vice president of vehicle engineering, stated that the company is hard at work cooperating with local authorities and agencies like the NTSB and the NHTSA to investigate a fatal Model S crash in Texas earlier this month. Moravy’s statements provided some new insights into the ongoing investigation, particularly when he mentioned that Tesla did a study to see how the company’s technologies operate in the area of the accident.
“We did a study with them over the past week to understand what happened in that particular crash. And what we’ve learned from that effort was that Autosteer did not and could not engage on the road condition that — as it was designed. Our adaptive cruise control only engages when a driver was buckled in about 5 miles per hour. And it only accelerated to 30 miles per hour with the distance before the car crashed,” he said.
A look at Moravy’s statements shows that Tesla’s adaptive cruise control could only accelerate to 30 mph in the distance that the ill-fated Model S covered before it smashed into a tree. This goes against initial reports stating that the vehicle had been involved in a high-speed crash. The state of the Model S when authorities found it also hinted that the car collided with the tree at speeds beyond 30 mph. Moravy’s statement was clear enough, but apparently, it was not clear enough for some — and it’s causing even US congressmen to become misinformed about the issue.
Despite early claims by #Tesla #ElonMusk, autopilot WAS engaged in tragic crash in The Woodlands.
We need answers. https://t.co/e3TQTRv72Z
— Kevin Brady (@RepKevinBrady) April 28, 2021
Misreporting Spreads Quickly
Rep. Kevin Brady recently shared an article on his Twitter page which featured Moravy’s statement from the Q1 earnings call. The only problem was that the article Brady shared misunderstood the Tesla executive’s statement, with the article alleging that “at least one Tesla Autopilot feature was active” during the fatal Tesla crash. This, of course, is completely inaccurate, and EV owners and Tesla Twitter pointed it out as such. Moravy, after all, was referring to a test that the company ran, not the findings of the investigation, which is still ongoing.
Unfortunately, the US congressman seemed unconvinced. Despite the wave of corrections from the EV community and Tesla owners, or just Twitter users who actually bothered to listen and read the Q1 earnings call transcript, Brady argued in a later tweet that the source of his information was Tesla itself. And this, in a lot of ways, brings up a can of worms for the electric car maker and its longtime supporters.
Uh…Tesla. (Read the article, Sparky)
— Kevin Brady (@RepKevinBrady) April 28, 2021
Misinformation must be corrected
This is not the first time that Tesla has found itself on the receiving end of inaccurate reporting. Tesla has always battled misinformation since its early days, from reports claiming that the Model S was vaporware to ones claiming that Giga Shanghai was just an empty shell where Model 3s from Fremont were being stored. But while most of the misreporting surrounding Tesla is now expected by those following the company, and while some of this misinformation is almost humorous — such as a usually-critical Tesla reporter arguing that the Powerwall does not exist because she has never seen one in person — some stories require a more active hand.
Granted, Elon Musk has made his stance clear on advertising, or, as the CEO noted on Twitter, “manipulating public opinion.” However, it is not too difficult to see that Tesla will be fighting an unnecessarily uphill battle against misinformation if it does not have a way to make the correct information public. Musk has also stated on Twitter that “I trust the people,” which is no surprise considering his optimism. However, people are also very easy to manipulate, especially if they are immersed, for the most part, in misinformation.
Other companies spend money on advertising & manipulating public opinion, Tesla focuses on the product.
I trust the people.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 27, 2021
Not-a-PR Team
If there is anything that the ongoing misinformation surrounding the tragic Texas crash has shown, it is that Tesla may need a better strategy than just staying silent until an inaccurate story dies. This does not have to come in the form of a dedicated PR team or advertisements either, as those are strategies that have worked for companies that are almost antithetical to Tesla. Either way, the EV community may find it advantageous if something could be done about the ongoing inaccurate reports and allegations being thrown against the company. Perhaps Tesla could find a solution that meets these needs while staying true to its out-of-the-box character.
Tesla is a creative company that is unorthodox and bold enough that it decided to build a vehicle assembly line in a sprung structure to meet its goals. With this in mind, there is a pretty good chance that Tesla could find a workaround for its misinformation problem. Before this could happen, of course, Tesla would first have to admit that something more than silence is needed to usher in the company towards new heights.
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Tesla has reportedly pushed the unveiling of the Roadster once again, but there are also evidently new details about the event that the company plans to show off.
The Information reported this morning that Tesla will now unveil, for the second time, the next-generation Roadster in August, a further delay from the multiple timeline that the company had previously stated.
The report has not been confirmed or denied by Tesla at any capacity.
It also states the unveiling event will take place in Texas, the same place that Tesla executives revealed in May would be the place of manufacture for the company’s highly-anticipated supercar, which boasts a top speed of over 250 MPH and 650 miles of range, according to its website.
Tesla is also expected to showcase the SpaceX package, which will be used for faster acceleration and potentially hovering capabilities, at the unveiling event, the report states. Musk has always planned for this to happen, but now it seems it is more realistic than ever
The report also states the Roadster unveiling is planned for August pic.twitter.com/By26XZIJzU
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 5, 2026
The Roadster has had its unveiling date and manufacturing date pushed back on many occasions. It was set to start production in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic crippled supply chain operations, forcing Tesla to push its timeline back considerably.
However, COVID has been over for some time, and Tesla has still not managed to successfully schedule and execute an unveiling event, which is something fans and enthusiasts, as well as those who have put down a $50,000 deposit, have been waiting for.
The vehicle was close to completion last year, but Musk truly wanted Lars Moravy and Franz von Holzhausen to push the limits of the Roadster. In July of last year, Moravy said:
“Roadster is definitely in development. We did talk about it last Sunday night. We are gearing up for a super cool demo. It’s going to be mind-blowing; We showed Elon some cool demos last week of the tech we’ve been working on, and he got a little excited.”
It is important to note two things: Tesla has not confirmed these details, and the company has regularly pushed these dates back. Until Tesla sends out formal invitations with a concrete date, taking any unveiling event reports with a grain of salt is a good idea.
Tesla is offering a tasty Supercharging incentive on certain Model 3 trims, but the company has officially put a concrete end date on it, so those interested should act fast.
Tesla is offering Free Supercharging for One Year on the Model 3 Premium and Performance trims, the top two offerings of the all-electric sedan. There are three trims of the Model 3 that will have the Free Supercharging offer attached:
- Premium Rear-Wheel-Drive – $42,490
- Premium All-Wheel-Drive – $47,490
- Performance – $54,990
Tesla has now announced that this offer will expire on June 15, giving potential buyers about ten days to take advantage of the incentive.
This could be an additional incentive for car buyers to transition to electric vehicles. Many states are showing gas prices well over $4 per gallon, with the national average currently sitting at $4.22, according to AAA.
A free year of Supercharging miles would allow people to charge and travel for free, other than routine maintenance, which is already incredibly cheap compared to a gas car.
🚨 Tesla is now showing that it’s Free Supercharging offer for Model 3 Premium and Performance trims ends June 15 pic.twitter.com/VCLeddNSj8
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 5, 2026
At Tesla Superchargers, peak rates, meaning prices between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., average between $0.45 and $0.60. One year of driving at an average of 12,000 miles would cost between $1,000 and $1,500 at $0.50 per kWh. It’s a pretty good deal.
Supercharging prices have also increased recently:
Many of the Superchargers in my area just had their peak rates increased from $0.44 per kWh to $0.49, $0.52, and $0.54 per kWh
If you’re looking to save on your commute/travel for the next year, this Model 3 Free Supercharging incentive might not be a bad idea https://t.co/YDwwl4xxHk pic.twitter.com/DleURW7eqa
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 5, 2026
Tesla has used Free Supercharging to move units in the past, and it’s a great strategy for those who plan to use the car for longer commutes, cross-country drives, or do not have reliable access to home charging.
It should be noted that Tesla recommends that Supercharging be used at a minimum to preserve the life of the battery, as fast-charging is more stressful on the cells.
However, some people might not have an option, so the Free Supercharging incentive could truly be a great reason for many people to charge their cars.
The Supercharging incentive is short-term, and it is pretty rare that Tesla utilizes it, so once this offer is gone, we probably will not see it on the Model 3 for some time.
Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna revealed that the Italian automaker’s future will not involve self-driving, a point that echoes that of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s — sort of.
You might be thinking, “Are you insane? Musk has been so incredibly hellbent on delivering self-driving vehicles to the public, so much so that he has even hinted that Tesla won’t need the ever-popular and widely-requested Model Y L in the U.S.”
However, when it comes to electric supercars with high-performance specs and lofty price tags, Vigna’s stance is exactly what Musk wants for Tesla’s own hypercar project, the Tesla Roadster.
🚨 Tesla Roadster vs. Ferrari Luce
Price – $250,000 vs. $640,000
Horsepower – 1,000+ vs. 1,035
0-60 MPH – 1.1s OR 1.9s vs. 2.4s
Top Speed – 250+ MPH vs. 194 MPH
Range – 620 miles vs. 280 miles https://t.co/uEgswwVLeD pic.twitter.com/XcP58ZRO6Z— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 5, 2026
In a new interview with Australian media outlet Drive, Vigna made it clear that Ferrari’s ambitions for the future do not involve autonomy, simply because the company’s cars are not designed for anything but manual, spirited driving.
He said:
“We will not make fully autonomous cars — loud and clear. We want the people to have fun, not the [computer] chips. We want to have a steering wheel and a man or a woman behind the steering wheel. Otherwise, why do you buy a Ferrari?”
This seems to be a reasonable assertion. Ferraris are not made for daily commutes, cross-country road trips, or bumper-to-bumper traffic. They’re made for fast, spirited driving, and many of their buyers will only put a few thousand miles on them throughout their lifetime. True, exciting, fun driving is meant to be done manually.
That is not to say Full Self-Driving or other semi-autonomous suites are not “fun,” but they are meant to take the stress out of driving. They are made for the daily commutes, the rush hour traffic, and the parking lots and garages. It’s made to take the stress out of driving.
Tesla Full Self-Driving attempts 150-mile stress test: the good and the bad
Musk had stated in an interview in early 2026 that the Roadster would also be geared toward fun, manually-controlled driving. On the Moonshots podcast with Peter Diamandis, Musk said about the Roadster:
“This is not a…safety is not the main goal. If you buy a Ferrari, safety is not the number one goal. I say, if safety is your number one goal, do not buy the Roadster…We’ll aspire not to kill anyone in this car. It’ll be the best of the last of the human-driven cars. The best of the last.”
There are cars out there that simply are meant to be driven by humans, and Ferraris and Roadsters are a few of them. Ferrari has no true advantage in developing self-driving; their cars sell at low volumes with high price tags, and their performance specs and engineering are all geared toward spirited driving.
Tesla Roadster unveiling gets pushed again, but new event details emerge
Tesla Model 3 has a tasty Supercharging incentive, but it’s ending soon
