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TikTok creator apologizes to Tesla, admits that “defective” Model S in viral video was not his

Credit: Ricco Kimborough/TikTok

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TikTok creator Ricco Kimborough has come clean about a viral Tesla post where he supposedly took delivery of a Model S with an airbag unit that fell apart in his hands. The social media enthusiast posted his apology on TikTok, admitting that the vehicle in the video was not really his and that he simply sat in an unlocked car at a Tesla delivery center. 

“This video is for Elon Musk. I love your product, sir, I do. I love your product. I had no idea, and I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart. I had no idea that I was not supposed to get into that vehicle because it was not locked at all. I just want to say, I apologize… This video went viral and I got a call from the actual police department saying that they don’t want me on their property… So this message is to Elon Musk… I’m sorry and I’m actually purchasing a Tesla. Got one on order,” Kimborough said. 

Kimborough’s viral video became a rallying cry of sorts among the anti-Tesla crowd, especially considering his “reactions” to his vehicles’ alleged defect. In the video, the TikTok creator stated that the vehicle was some “cheap baloney” and that such defects were unacceptable. Later videos even showed Kimborough allegedly coming to a Tesla location to complain about “his” Model S. That being said, the TikTok creator’s viral video did have some red flags from the get-go.

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Immediately noticeable from the viral video was that the Model S “Plaid” that Kimborough allegedly took delivery of still had some of the protective wraps Tesla uses when transporting its cars. The vehicle was also in Transport Mode, which suggests that it was not in any way ready to be handed over to a customer. Contrary to the TikTok creator’s Model S Plaid claims, the vehicle was also a Model S Long Range, which was not yet being delivered to customers then. 

@riccokimbrough##tesla ##elonmusk♬ original sound – ✅ Ricco kimbrough♋️

So what of the substantial media coverage of Kimborough’s viral video, such as this, this, this, this, and this now that the video has been debunked by its creator? Well, that’s just the thing with these false pieces. Some outlets such as motoring media outlet Jalopnik have posted corrections to their initial coverage. But others, not so much. This, unfortunately, will likely result in a great number of people still believing that the TikTok creator’s initial video was real, despite the fact that it’s not. 

As previously explained to Teslarati by Emma Frances Bloomfield (PhD), currently an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, correcting misinformation requires halting the repetition of false information. “To address misinformation, people can create more complete stories that replace the incorrect one, provide trustworthy authority figures to deliver the message, and not repeat the false information when making the correction. We say, “correct early and correct often” to try and get ahead of the temporal advantage misinformation has and to counter the repetition of the false information,” she stated. 

Considering the usual narratives surrounding Tesla, countering this proven false claim would definitely be challenging. 

Do you have anything to share with the Teslarati Team? We’d love to hear from you, email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla Robotaxi wins over firm that said it was ‘likely to disappoint’

Tesla Robotaxi recently won over a Wall Street firm that had recently said the platform was “likely to disappoint.”

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tesla robotaxi app on phone
Credit: Tesla

Tesla Robotaxi recently won over a Wall Street firm that had recently said the platform was “likely to disappoint.” The ride-hailing service has been operating for about a month, and driverless rides have been offered to a small group of people that continues to expand nearly every day.

JPMorgan went to Austin to test the Tesla Robotaxi platform, and it did so just a few weeks after listing Tesla as one of its “six stocks to short” in 2025. Highlighting the loss of the EV tax credit and labeling the Robotaxi initiative as one that was “likely to disappoint,” despite Tesla’s prowess in its self-driving software.

Analyst Ryan Brinkman has been skeptical of Tesla for some time, even stating that the company’s “sky-high valuation” was not in line with other stocks in the Magnificent Seven.

However, a recent visit to Texas that was made by JPMorgan analysts proved that the Robotaxi platform, despite being in its earliest stages, was enough for them to change their tune, at least slightly. The firm gave its props to the Tesla Robotaxi platform in a note by stating it was “certainly solid and felt like a safe ride at all times.”

It’s always nice to hear skeptics report positive experiences, especially as Robotaxi continues to improve and expand.

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Tesla has already expanded its geofence for the Robotaxi suite in Austin, picking a very interesting shape for its newest boundaries:

Tesla’s Robotaxi expansion wasn’t a joke, it was a warning to competitors

As Robotaxi expands, Tesla is dealing with competition from Waymo, another self-driving ride-hailing service that is operating in Austin, among other areas. After Tesla’s expansion, which brought its accessible area to a greater size than Waymo’s, it responded by doubling its geofence.

Waymo’s expansion surpassed Tesla’s size considerably, and it seems Tesla is preparing to expand its geofence in the coming weeks.

Waymo responds to Tesla’s Robotaxi expansion in Austin with bold statement

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The Robotaxi platform is not yet available to the public, but Tesla has been inviting more people to try it with every passing day. Currently, the map is roughly 42 square miles, but many believe Tesla is able to broaden this by a considerable margin whenever it decides.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla needs to confront these concerns as its ‘wartime CEO’ returns: Wedbush

Tesla will report earnings for Q2 tomorrow. Here’s what Wedbush expects.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) is set to report its earnings for the second quarter of 2025 tomorrow, and although Wall Street firm Wedbush is bullish as the company appears to have its “wartime CEO” back, it is looking for answers to a few concerns investors could have moving forward.

The firm’s lead analyst on Tesla, Dan Ives, has kept a bullish sentiment regarding the stock, even as Musk’s focus seemed to be more on politics and less on the company.

However, Musk has recently returned to his past attitude, which is being completely devoted and dedicated to his companies. He even said he would be sleeping in his office and working seven days a week:


Nevertheless, Ives has continued to push suggestions forward about what Tesla should do, what its potential valuation could be in the coming years with autonomy, and how it will deal with the loss of the EV tax credit.

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Tesla preps to expand Robotaxi geofence once again, answering Waymo

These questions are at the forefront of what Ives suggests Tesla should confront on tomorrow’s call, he wrote in a note to investors that was released on Tuesday morning:

“Clearly, losing the EV tax credits with the recent Beltway Bill will be a headwind to Tesla and competitors in the EV landscape looking ahead, and this cash cow will become less of the story (and FCF) in 2026. We would expect some directional guidance on this topic during the conference call. Importantly, we anticipate deliveries globally to rebound in 2H led by some improvement on the key China front with the Model Y refresh a catalyst.”

Ives and Wedbush believe the autonomy could be worth $1 trillion for Tesla, especially as it continues to expand throughout Austin and eventually to other territories.

In the near term, Ives expects Tesla to continue its path of returning to growth:

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“While the company has seen significant weakness in China in previous quarters given the rising competitive landscape across EVs, Tesla saw a rebound in June with sales increasing for the first time in eight months reflecting higher demand for its updated Model Y as deliveries in the region are starting to slowly turn a corner with China representing the heart and lungs of the TSLA growth story. Despite seeing more low-cost models enter the market from Chinese OEMs like BYD, Nio, Xpeng, and others, the company’s recent updates to the Model Y spurred increased demand while the accelerated production ramp-up in Shanghai for this refresh cycle reflected TSLA’s ability to meet rising demand in the marquee region. If Musk continues to lead and remain in the driver’s seat at this pace, we believe Tesla is on a path to an accelerated growth path over the coming years with deliveries expected to ramp in the back-half of 2025 following the Model Y refresh cycle.”

Tesla will report earnings tomorrow at market close. Wedbush maintained its ‘Outperform’ rating and held its $500 price target.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla (TSLA) Q2 2025 earnings call: What investors want to know

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is set to report its second-quarter 2025 financial results on Wednesday, July 23, after markets close. With this in mind, Tesla investors have aggregated their top questions for the company at its upcoming Q&A session.

The upcoming earnings report follows a mixed delivery quarter. Tesla produced over 410,000 vehicles and delivered more than 384,000 units globally. In the energy segment, Tesla deployed 9.6 GWh of storage products, continuing momentum for its Megapack business. Tesla’s vehicle sales are currently down year-over-year, though a good part of this was due to the Model Y changeover in the first quarter.

Following are Tesla investors’ top questions for management, as aggregated in Say.

  1. Can you give us some insight (into) how robotaxis have been performing so far and what rate you expect to expand in terms of vehicles, geofence, cities, and supervisors?
  2. What are the key technical and regulatory hurdles still remaining for unsupervised FSD to be available for personal use? Timeline?
  3. What specific factory tasks is Optimus currently performing, and what is the expected timeline for scaling production to enable external sales? How does Tesla envision Optimus contributing to revenue in the next 2–3 years?
  4. Can you provide an update on the development and production timeline for Tesla’s more affordable models? How will these models balance cost reduction with profitability, and what impact do you expect on demand in the current economic climate?
  5. When do you anticipate customer vehicles to receive unsupervised FSD?
  6. Are there any news for HW3 users getting retrofits or upgrades? Will they get HW4 or some future version of HW5?
  7. Have any meaningful Optimus milestones changed for this year or next, and will thousands of Optimus be performing tasks in Tesla factories by year-end?
  8. Will there be a new AI day to explain the advancements the Autopilot, Optimus, and Dojo/chip teams have made over the past several years? We still do not know much about HW4.
  9. Cybertruck ramp is now a year in, but sales have lagged other models. How are you thinking through boosting sales of such an incredible product?
  10. When will there be a new CEO compensation package presented and considered for the next stage of the company’s growth?

Tesla will release its Q2 update letter on its Investor Relations website after markets close on Wednesday. A live Q&A webcast with management will then follow at 4:30 p.m. CT (5:30 p.m. ET) to discuss the company’s performance and outlook.

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