Musk working on another ‘masterplan’ as Tesla navigates rough road
by Paul Wiseman, The Associated Press
Auto chief said he hopes to publish details this week, while company faces a federal probe related to a Model S crash as well as a delivery miss
Having already revealed an ambitious plan to produce hundreds of thousands of more affordable Model 3s earlier this year, speculation is swirling about what the CEO has planned. PHOTO: Tesla
PALO ALTO, Calif.—Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, under pressure after a fatal crash involving one of his electric cars, went on Twitter July 10 to say he’s working on another “Top Secret Tesla Masterplan.” He said he hoped to publish details this week.
The tantalizing message echoes an August 2006 blog post, titled “The Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan (just between you and me),” in which Musk unveiled the cars that became the Tesla Model S four-door family car and the Tesla 3 sports sedan.
The electric vehicle maker and Musk have been hit with a recent string of bad news.
Federal officials are investigating a May 7 crash in Florida that killed a man after his Model S’s cameras failed to detect a turning tractor-trailer and did not automatically activate the brakes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has now requested details on how the company’s Autopilot system works and why it failed to detect a tractor trailer that crossed its path in a Florida crash.
Tesla also said last week that shipments to customers fell in the past three months, making it unlikely the California-based firm would meet expectations for delivering 80,000 to 90,000 vehicles this year.
Musk ran into criticism for the company’s bid of up to $2.5 billion last month for the financially troubled firm SolarCity, which installs solar panels and is run by Musk’s cousin, Lyndon Rive.
The automaker’s stock is down nearly 15 per cent since late April.
