Elon Musk invents his own laws of physics, claims Tesla brake pads NEVER need to be replaced
01/20/2019 / By Isabelle Z.
Whether you admire him or despise him, there’s no denying that Tesla CEO Elon Musk is a savvy businessman. All that success may be going to his head, however, as he now appears to believe that he can invent his own laws of physics.
Musk has claimed that Tesla vehicles’ brake pads never need to be replaced, even though common sense says otherwise – and so does the manual. In fact, the user manuals of the cars state that the brake pads must be replaced when they wear out, just like every other car.
When a Twitter user commented that it simply isn’t possible for Tesla’s vehicles to have perfectly regenerative brakes because they use brake pads, which are logically subject to wear and tear, Musk tweeted, “Brake pads on a Tesla literally never need to be replaced for lifetime of the car.”
Either he’s been smoking something again, or the manual that comes with the car is fiction. It states that a “squealing sound indicates that the brake pads have reached the end of their service life and require replacement. To replace the brake pads, contact Tesla service.” It goes on to instruct owners to visually inspect their brakes periodically by removing the wheel and tire.
Indeed, some Tesla owners have commented in public forums online that their rear brakes are already squealing, noting that service technicians have told them it’s a known issue that is not uncommon. In theory, however, it may be true that they need new brake pads less frequently than other cars thanks to regenerative braking that sees the motor serving as a generator to recharge the battery, thereby slowing the car.
A feature on Car Throttle in 2018 showed how one driver wore through a pair of brake pads just by going around 45 corners at the curvy Laguna Seca race circuit in California in a Tesla Model 3. While these are admittedly far from normal driving conditions, eroding right down to the metal after just nine miles is a pretty poor record.
Musk’s bizarre comments worry investors
Musk is no stranger to controversy, having made a number of curious comments recently, but outright lying to the public about the properties of his company’s vehicles is a bridge too far.
During the Thai soccer team underwater cave rescue incident in 2018, Musk initially offered help but then got the wrong kind of press when he referred to one of the rescuers as a “pedo guy” when he questioned whether the Tesla CEO’s offer was a PR stunt.
He has admitted to using Ambien, which some blame for his erratic acts and late-night social media ramblings, and board members are reportedly concerned about his recreational drug use. He was seen smoking a joint on a live web show, which caused Tesla’s market value to fall by six percent. Employees also report that he goes on rampages, carrying out what insiders refer to as “rage firings.”
Perhaps one of his highest-profile blunders was a tweet in which he claimed he had secured the funding needed to take Tesla private. He was charged with fraud by the SEC, later reaching a settlement in which both he and the firm had to pay a fine of $20 million; Musk was barred from serving as Tesla’s chairman for a period of two years.
His bizarre and downright false statements have left many experts scratching their heads. It’s hardly surprising that Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said that the Tesla CEO is essentially a con artist, stating, “I don’t believe anything Elon Musk or Tesla says. What he says, can you really believe in him?”
When Musk’s comments are in direct opposition to what is stated in his vehicles’ user manuals, the answer is a resounding “no.”
Sources for this article include:
Tagged Under: brake pads, brakes, cars, Celebrity, deception, Elon Musk, insanity, lies, ROFL, science clowns, stupid, tesla
New title
