Tesla Roadster: The Lure of Promises and the Hook of Money
Remember when Elon Musk introduced the Tesla Roadster 2.0, promising a car that looks like it’s from the future and beats almost any supercar? This electric wonder was first rumored more than a decade ago, and the promises were impressive: rocket engines, improved aerodynamics, an impressive range of 620 miles (over 1,000 km) and a price tag of around $200,000. However, eight years later, we’re still waiting for even a prototype of this car, while countless other electric supercars have appeared on the market. The Roadster is still more of a phantom than a reality, and it’s a disappointment to people who put down significant upfront deposits, effectively giving the company an interest-free loan.
The head of OpenAI wants his money back
This ignorance is starting to annoy even the most recognizable people in the tech world. One of them belongs to Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI and one of the brightest minds in Silicon Valley. He revealed that he pre-ordered a Tesla Roadster on July 11, 2018, paying $45,000 (which would be around $58,000 today). However, Altman has run into serious obstacles in trying to get his deposit back – the email used to manage the pre-orders is no longer available. This is not an isolated problem. Popular tech blogger Marcus Brownsley has also faced similar difficulties trying to get his $50,000 back. He managed to get a partial refund only after several direct calls to Tesla representatives. On online forums like Reddit and the Tesla Club, many other reservation owners are sharing their experiences, looking for ways to recoup the money they paid for the promised Roadster with its “extraordinary acceleration” and “jet engines” that remain only in Musk’s imagination. Currently, he already has new, “creative” ideas – a floating Tesla Roadster.
History of Musk’s Promises
Musk’s tendency to promise revolutionary projects long before they are actually implemented is well known. Let’s remember his ambitious Hyperloop transport system, which promised to transport passengers at 250 km/h through vacuum tunnels. In reality, Musk’s company has only built a small prototype tunnel in Las Vegas, where ordinary Tesla cars slowly transport visitors. Also, the autonomous two-seater Cybercab, which was introduced more than a year ago, still exists only on paper. These situations show a worrying trend in which grand ideas often fall short of their initial promises, leaving customers in the dark and with unfulfilled promises.
