Deceitful Media

[+SpiceWare]

The Wall Street Journal tweeted this today:

 

 

I just skimmed the video and a couple things immediately stood out.

1) They stopped their stock chart in May:

 

 

Which hides the recent gains:

 

 

 

2) When they talk about the Gigafactory in China they show photos like these:

 

 

 

When it currently looks like this:

 

 

 

Makes one question the validity of everything else the Wall Street Journal puts out.

[+SpiceWare]

After the market closed on Tuesday, July the 2nd, Tesla announced they delivered 95,200 cars, the most ever in their history:

 

 

Yet Henry Fernandez at Fox Business reports:

 

 

3,200 less than reality.  Additionally he reports the stock dropped:

 

 

 

Doesn't say "today" or "Friday", which would be accurate as the stock closed down $1.80, so it implies the stock is down since Tesla's delivery announcement.  Looking at TSLA Historical Stock Prices I see:

 

 

So before the Q2 announcement, the market closed at 224.55.  Most recently it closed at 233.10.  Sure looks like a gain to me.?

 

[+SpiceWare]

 

On 6/26/2019 at 2:51 PM, SpiceWare said:

The Wall Street Journal tweeted this today:

 

Another tweet on June 26th, this one by Business Insider.

 

 

 

Their video shows a mudpit for the Gigafactory 3. 

 

 

 

Are they in cahoots with the Wall Street Journal?

 

 

 

[Flojomojo]

It's fun to write about big egos (like Musk) having a hard time. If they only said the positive stuff, they'd be accused of working for Tesla. 

 

I don't know how WSJ became the mouthpiece "sources familiar with the matter" for accurate leaks about Apple (another media punching bag) but maybe Tesla needs to work the back channel in a similar way. 

[+SpiceWare]

I have no problem with that, Elon's done some boneheaded things and should be called out for them. I have a big problem with the media making up and/or presenting things in a deceiving manner like I've been seeing.

 

When it occurs as often as it does with things I'm familiar with, I can only belive it's the same for things I'm not as familiar with.  Therefore I now consider everything that the Wall Street Journal, Fox Business, Business Insider, New York Times (foreshadowing), etc. publish as something not to be trusted.

[+SpiceWare]

On June 22 the New York Times published a FUD piece on EVs - L.A. to Vegas and Back by Electric Car: 8 Hours Driving; 5 More Plugged In. They used a Chevy Bolt and drove 540 miles to Vegas and back, without staying overnight in Vegas to charge.

 

Alex and Eric decided to take their cars, a Model 3 and a Bolt, on a trip to Vegas to show the experience of actual EV owners. Though it would be unusual to do so, they opted not to charge overnight in Vegas so as to match the NY Times:

 

 

Executive Summary:

• New York Times, 8 hours drive time, 5 hours charge time
• Eric's Bolt , 10:10 drive, 0:59 charge
• Alex' Model 3, 10:04 drive, 2:45 charge

Differences in drive time due to a longer distance (607+ miles) due to them starting/ending in Thousand Oaks (west of NYT's starting point in LA) and having to take a detour on the way back due to a major accident.
 

Alex estimates it'd have taken 15 minutes to charge his Model 3 each way if he'd Destination Charged in Vegas, like one normally would.

 

 

[Flojomojo]

I seem to recall similar stories from a few years back. There's definitely a bias towards the "interesting anecdote" or punchy headline. The worst is when a reporter has an agenda and selectively chooses facts to fit their preconceived story. 

[+SpiceWare]

In response to a tweet requesting help getting N95 masks to hospitals in Louisiana, Elon Musk say's he'll do what he can*. He also makes an offhand comment that N95 masks are a pain to wear.

 

Business Insider reports it as:

 

When the media publishing outright lies about things you're familiar with, you can guarantee they're publishing lies about things you're not familiar with.

 

 

* Tesla uses the masks during manufacturing and, like many businesses such as Harbor Freight Tools, are donating what protective gear they have to hospitals.

 

 

 

[+SpiceWare]

Another day another deceitful story by the media.

Tesla currently produces cars from 2 locations, California and Shanghai.  Production for every single quarter is done like this:

 

• 1st month build cars for overseas (Europe, Australia, etc).
• 2nd month build cars for across the continent (east coast, mid-America)
• 3rd month build cars for close to factory (west coast)

 

This is done so most of the vehicles will be delivered to customers in the same quarter they were built. Due to shipping times most cars are delivered the 3rd month, while the 1st month sees the least.

On a quarterly cycle "doom and gloom" stories are published, just like this one, about how Tesla's sales for the 1st month of the quarter dropped vs the prior month. Of course they did - the cars were still on the ships making their way overseas.  These stories never mention this fact.

 

Tesla Shares Drop Most in Three Weeks on Market-Share Loss

Quote

Tesla Inc. shares fell by the most in three weeks, sitting out of the broader market’s advance, after electric-vehicle sales figures showed a loss in global market share for April.
...
Tesla’s global market share decreased to 11% in April from 29% in March

 

[+SpiceWare]

Yesterday electrek posted a doctored invoice in their latest Tesla hit piece. Click on the image below, or view it in the article, and if you look closely you'll see the fields have been poorly blanked out as a sliver of the numbers that were there previously are still visible.

 

 

 

Also note the Invoice Number, invoice date, and reference number.  You'll see them in this 2019 article from Teslarati: Tesla owner racks up $1147 in Supercharger idle fees at valet-only parking garage where you will find the original image:

 

 

 

[+SpiceWare]

November 21, 2022 - Reuters article about the latest Tesla recall makes sure to emphasize that it's the 19th this year:

 

Other reports on this made sure to include "19th this year" in the headline.  Result is all over social media people are claiming 19 recalls in 1 year is horrible.

 

November 24, 2022 - Reuters article, by the exact same reporter, about the latest Ford recall makes no mention on how many recall's for the year.

 

It was Ford's 64th recall...