Earlier today TNW brought you the news that, in a series of tweets, Elon Musk had pushed back against a review of the Tesla Model S that appeared in the New York Times. At that time, Musk alleged that the reviewer had taken a different route than described in his piece, and had failed to properly charge his loaner car, changing the input variables by which he was testing the vehicle.
The Times itself released a statement concerning Musk’s accusations, which I have included directly below, via The Verge [Formatting: TNW]:
The Times’s February 10th article recounting a reporter’s test drive in a Tesla Model S was completely factual, describing the trip in detail exactly as it occurred. Any suggestion that the account was “fake” is, of course, flatly untrue. Our reporter followed the instructions he was given in multiple conversations with Tesla personnel. He described the entire drive in the story; there was no unreported detour.
And he was never told to plug the car in overnight in cold weather, despite repeated contact with Tesla.
That is a refutation that includes absolutely zero wiggle room. We are now down to a situation in which only one party can be correct, and the other must admit moral defeat, be subject to public ridicule, and lose standing in the community of Not Idiots.
To better explain his position, Musk gave an interview to Bloomberg West, which included fresh notes on the test drive in question [Formatting: TNW]:
I do not think this is a he said, she said situation. It is really black and white. The facts are the facts. He did not charge the car to full capacity, not even close. He then took an unplanned detour through downtown Manhattan, through heavy traffic, instead of going on the interstate to the charging station. He also exceeded the speed limit quite substantially, which decreased his range.
If you do all those three things, which we were clear should not be done and obviously common sense suggests should not be done, then you will not be able to go as far.
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Calling the situation “crystal clear,” Musk promised to release the logs in question.
The company does not log such data on cars that it sells to consumers, unless they consent in writing. For the media, the logging systems are engaged, following the Top Gear incident in which video was shot of a Tesla car being pushed, despite the logs indicating that it had in fact not run out of battery power.
Once the logs come out, Tesla will have either uncovered patent dishonesty at the New York Times, or have shot the foot of his up and coming electric car manufacturer.
Image Credit: Scott Olson / Getty Images
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