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Telling off and embarassing the billionaire know-it-all owner of Tesla Motors must feel as good as taking one of his Model S sedans for a spin.
Or even better.
Elon Musk, founder of the Palo Alto-based electric car maker, got his comeuppance yesterday after a reporter pushed back against Musk’s claims that a harsh review of the Model S was “a fake.”
“My account was not a fake. It happened just the way I described it,” New York Times reporter John Broder wrote in a blog post aimed at taking Musk down a notch — and restoring Broder’s reputation.
Broder, who tried to drive the Model S from Washington, DC, to Boston at Tesla’s request to test recently installed super-charging stations, found that the car kept losing juice in the cold weather.
Tesla shares have lost 3.4 percent of their value since Broder’s Sunday story — draining $153 million in market cap from Tesla.
Shares closed yesterday at $37.89.
The Model S — starting at $42,400 — is the startup’s first affordable family car. Musk, on the strength of Model S orders, said Tesla would swing to profitability this year.
Broder’s road trip ended far from Boston with the battery completely shutting down and the car being towed.
The poor review risks hurting Tesla sales in the Northeast.
Musk initially apologized last Friday for the bungled trip, Broder revealed in his blog. Musk explained to him that Tesla is building more charging stations “to take into account the traffic and temperature extremes in this part of the country.”
Broder also attacked Musk’s accusation that he didn’t charge the car properly, saying he wasn’t told to charge it overnight.
Musk was also slammed for claiming Broder took a “long detour” through lower Manhattan.
Broder took the Lincoln Tunnel instead of the George Washington Bridge, he said, with Tesla’s full knowledge.
Musk has promised to post his own detailed blog entry proving Broder wrong.