Elon Musk Takes Heat for Poorly Timed April Fools' Joke, Remaining Auto Pranks Boring

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

April Fools’ Day is a great holiday when you’re 12 years old but, as an adult, there are only so many people you can trick into drinking spoiled milk outside of your own family without getting into trouble. The world just doesn’t have the same level of patience for a matured prankster. Corporate foolery is even less palatable, usually because it’s far too tame to be genuinely entertaining, or results in some social blunder highlighting a genuine problem.

The automotive industry frequently engages in April Fools’ pranks, but this year was rather dull. Porsche’s phony Mission E tractor was cute but felt a little lazy and Honda UK’s chop-topped CR-V resulted in some members of the press requesting Honda actually built it — something none of us agree with, as that monstrosity would be a pillar of bad taste. The best of the bunch was probably McLaren’s weird take on promoting efficiency, in which the supercar maker hinted everyone will become a soulless robot. It wasn’t the best we’ve seen; still, the staff clearly enjoyed taking a playful shot at its more uptight rivals.

Then there was Tesla’s joke, which saw CEO Elon Musk issue a series of tweets about the company’s pretend bankruptcy. The timing on this was admittedly not great. Tesla had a really bad month involving a stock price attempting to bore its way to the center of the earth, the biggest recall in its history, another Model 3 production shortfall, and an Autopilot-related fatality in California.

Presumably, Musk was attempting to get out ahead of bad publicity surrounding Tesla’s impending doom — something nobody can yet assure — by making light of the situation. However, it might have been wiser for the automotive hype man to stay silent and enjoy a quiet holiday weekend with the family.

Had the company not been facing so many issues stacked one atop the other throughout March, the CEO’s comments would have been easier to take as a satirical jab at an overly critical media.

“Despite intense efforts to raise money, including a last-ditch mass sale of Easter Eggs, we are sad to report that Tesla has gone completely and totally bankrupt,” read Musk’s first tweet. “So bankrupt, you can’t believe it.”

There are many chapters of bankruptcy and, as critics so rightly pointed out, Tesla has them *all*, including Chapter 14 and a half (the worst one).

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 1, 2018

We cannot discern whether the brand’s 22-percent drop in stock value through March makes this prank absolutely hysterical or subtly tragic. It would be one thing if naysayer analysts continued to fault the company’s lack of profitability while share prices remained at an all-time high. But the company faces real problems right now and Musk is still telling jokes.

Tesla promised Model 3 production would reach 2,500 vehicles per week by the end of last month. But, according to an email sent to employees on Monday, it still isn’t there. While Bloomberg‘s “Tesla Tracker” still has the Model 3 at 1,190 cars a week, the automaker currently estimates a number just north of 2,000 by the end of this week. Projected production shortfalls, along with a fatal Model X crash in California, really hurt the company’s incredibly important stock valuation.

In his final April Fool’s tweet, Musk posted a photo of himself passed out against the side of a Tesla, holding a cardboard sign with the word “bankwupt” written on it. “Elon was found passed out against a Tesla Model 3, surrounded by ‘Teslaquilla’ bottles, the tracks of dried tears still visible on his cheeks,” read the last posting. “This is not a forward-looking statement, because, obviously, what’s the point? Happy New Month!”

According to Bloomberg, Moody’s Analytics Investors Service cut Tesla’s credit status from B3 from B2 and changed its outlook from stable to negative last week. It also suggested the company might need raise more than $2 billion very soon. S&P also has a negative outlook on the company right now, but has not given it the dreaded triple-C rating.

While Tesla could have taken a page from Honda and Porsche by promoting an undesirable model that will never reach production, those types of April Fools’ pranks are almost painfully derivative at this point — but not entirely unwelcome when done well. But how often does an automaker enact ultra-black self-deprecating humor? We say let Elon travel down this comedic rabbit hole as far as he wants. It’s far too interesting not to follow him.

[Image: Elon Musk/ Twitter]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • DEVILLE88 DEVILLE88 on Apr 03, 2018

    Its hard to admire and respect a guy who names his company after one of the most important men the human race has ever seen. and he readily admits he likes and admires Thomas Edison far more. a man who did not invent the light bulb, killed animals out of jealousy and desperation to prove his DC current was better than Nikola tesla,invented the electric chair and basically your thieving lying dishonest human being.

  • John Horner John Horner on Apr 03, 2018

    The Porsche E-tractor announcement looks like the kind of thing Tesla would actually put out :). A decade from now Tesla's Bankwupt sign will be a sought after collectible. Of course Elon identifies with Edison more than he does with Tesla. Edison was a promoter first and foremost and had much in common with PT Barnum. Tesla was an actual genius.

  • FreedMike This is before Cadillac styling went full scale nutty...and not particularly attractive, in my opinion.
  • JTiberius1701 Middle of April here in NE Ohio. And that can still be shaky. Also on my Fiesta ST, I use Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires for the winter and Bridgestone Potenza for my summer tires. No issues at all.
  • TCowner We've had a 64.5 Mustang in the family for the past 40 years. It is all original, Rangoon Red coupe with 289 (one of the first instead of the 260), Rally Pac, 4-speed, factory air, every option. Always gets smiles and thumbs ups.
  • ToolGuy This might be a good option for my spouse when it becomes available -- thought about reserving one but the $500 deposit is a little too serious. Oh sorry, that was the Volvo EX30, not the Mustang. Is Volvo part of Ford? Is the Mustang an EV? I'm so confused.
  • Mikey My late wife loved Mustangs ..We alway rented one while travelling . GM blood vetoed me purchasing one . 3 years after retirement bought an 08 rag top, followed by a 15 EB Hard top, In 18 i bought a low low mileage 05 GT rag with a stick.. The car had not been properly stored. That led to rodent issues !! Electrical nightmare. Lots of bucks !! The stick wasn't kind to my aging knees.. The 05 went to a long term dedicated Mustang guy. He loves it .. Today my garage tenant is a sweet 19 Camaro RS rag 6yl Auto. I just might take it out of hibernation this weekend. The Mustang will always hold a place in my heart.. Kudos to Ford for keeping it alive . I refuse to refer to the fake one by that storied name .
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