Tesla is arguably the biggest electric vehicle manufacturer, and their lineup consists of vehicles that offer a completely electric powertrain. For so many years, people would question the feasibility and the utility of the electric car, it wasn't until Tesla came into the equation that the reputation of electric vehicles took an upturn.
In more recent years, Tesla is starting to put petrol-powered vehicles on the back foot with performance. Electric powertrains are capable of generating significant amounts of torque, which means they can accelerate much faster than petrol-powered cars. Tesla is starting to gain more of a reputation, with every newer model, a brilliant innovation.
At the head of it, all is brilliant multi-millionaire Elon Musk. While Elon is arguably one of the smartest minds of our generation, his work is never far from controversy. There are quite a few incidents and issues that have marred Tesla's overall technological brilliance. Here are 15 questions Elon Musk doesn't want you to ask about Tesla.
15 Model 3 Issues
While there's no doubting the brilliant performance, and supreme comfort of the Model 3, there's no hiding the issues. The most significant complaint among owners is the ranging build-quality issues. These include gaps between the panels, dents, and scratches. While in recent years the company is improving on their quality, these issues remain.
14 Top Gear Feud
Elon certainly isn't someone to shy away from any of his opinions. His no holds barred nature was certainly on display when he took famous motoring show Top Gear to court over a review of one Tesla vehicle. Top Gear fans are some of the most hardcore in the world, and Elon isn't a fan of the show.
13 Charging
While many argue that the time for electric vehicles is now, one thing that holds them back is the charging time. The future might reveal a solution like hyper charging, but currently, gas-powered vehicles offer more utility and range. It takes a few minutes to fill up your car while charging will take you a while longer.
12 Why Do They All Look The Same?
Every single model in the Tesla lineup looks practically identical. Although the top-end models have higher quality finishes, and improved performance, they still look almost the same as the base-level models. The least you could expect is a unique design when you're spending so much money on a vehicle.
11 Autopilot
When the autopilot technology first came out, it amazed everyone. It would behave like cruise control, only with the ability to detect the cars' speeds around them. The auto would automatically adjust and maintain the distance. It also has a lane check system. However, it's not foolproof. It fails to detect stationary vehicles and has resulted in crashes!
10 Maintenance Costs
One of the expectations when shelling out big money for a car is that you'll save on maintenance costs. While Tesla doesn't need to worry about oil changes or spark plug replacements, Tesla recommends owners to come in for an evaluation ever 12,000 miles. The price of every visit ranges from $450-800 without accounting for the cost of repairs.
9 Beta Testing?
You wouldn't put it past Elon to use a technique like this, but many owners are starting to theorize that they are indeed Beta Testers for Tesla. There's an increasing number of glitches coming forward, which makes one question whether these cars are ready for launch.
8 Accident Rates
Elon claims that Tesla's are the safest vehicles on the roads. However, several reports have found that to be untrue. Either Elon is lying or his statistics are inaccurate. Several leading agencies have come out with statements that indicate that the modern-day Tesla's have fatality rates three times higher than other competitors.
7 Financial troubles
While there's no doubting the fact that Tesla is leading the way towards the future, the journey isn't exactly going smoothly. The company is struggling for sales due to the high cost of their vehicles, and according to Elon, they're barely managing to make ends meet. There's no telling what the future holds for the company.
6 The Wheel Gap On The Model 3
Even the base model of the entry-level Tesla starts at upwards of $40,000, and at that price, you expect a certain level of quality from the car. However, new owners will be disappointed to see the massive wheel gap between the front tires and the fender. Elon doesn't want us to ask why this is the case!
5 Power Steering Failure
While you would understand Tesla to come up with electrical failures and glitches because of the new technology, mechanical issues are tougher to understand. There's no excuse for modern Tesla's to come up with power steering failures, but that's been the case. One can ask how Tesla can release cars with such significant issues.
4 Cold Weather
Many car owners are already familiar with the impact of cold weather on a car's battery. However, Tesla owners will be surprised to see the magnitude of the issue on the Tesla. In cold weather, the vehicle will fail to accelerate initially until it heats up sufficiently. For an all-EV manufacturer, one wonders why Tesla doesn't have a solution for this issue.
3 Repair Issues
There's no getting away from the fact that Tesla uses brand-new technology, which means that even their service centers struggle to fix issues. Elon hasn't been able to address these issues, and owners frequently complain about the quality of the repair work. After-sales service is important, and Elon doesn't want you to ask why Tesla lags behind.
2 The SolarCity Products
Not as well-known as Tesla, but SolarCity makes accessories for Tesla vehicles. However, these products turned out to be completely useless and impractical. Which lead to many people questioning whether the whole thing was just a scam. If it's one thing, Elon doesn't like it is when you examine the integrity of his business decisions
1 Misreporting Statistics
Elon is one of the smartest minds of our generation and is a bona fide genius with numbers. He knows how to interpret and manipulate statistics to showcase his point of view quickly. An example is the decision to use miles traveled rather than years when reporting Tesla crash statistics. Why would you want to misreport statistics, though?