Tesla owner with Mustang Mach-E reports threats on social media from Tesla fans

[NiceGuyMax]

I don't use any social media platforms. I hate people.

 

[DarinCT]

I was following an online chat between a Ford and Chevy fan. They were throwing the typical shade so I brought up how the Dodge Charger was even faster. The two of them turned on me instantly and were joined by their hatred.

Car buying is not a rational choice, it's identity-based. It's not surprising that people get irrational. Elektrek.co is full of people who are unwilling to listen to facts, discuss, hear that another car company made a good car, or listen to Tesla criticisms.

If one gets on a social media platform, they are having a conversation with **billions** of people, of course the crazies will show up to talk.

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

Sergio Rodriguez never imagined saying nice things about his new Ford Mustang Mach-E would elicit death threats from Tesla owners on social media.

But this is 2021, after all. No one seems surprised by much.

What started this round of social media sparring was a tweet on Saturday by Jace Craft-Miller, who picked up his Carbonized Gray Mustang Mach-E First Edition on March 29.

The 29-year-old sales project manager from Cleveland, Ohio, tweeted, "All these Tesla fanbois reach out saying how much they hate the Mach-E ... blah blah."

And Rodriguez, who was featured in the Free Press in early March, replied, "I've had them message me death threats over my joy with the Mach-E."

Rodriguez, 41, a U.S. Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq and specialized in explosive ordnance disposal, is now a military contractor living in Saint Marys, Georgia.

The fiery debate among Ford and Tesla owners reflects the intensity surrounding a growing all-electric market dominated by Tesla. CEO Elon Musk is widely credited as an innovative leader who helped transform public perception of the vehicles.

As a result, Tesla has been a darling of Wall Street with a market value that dwarfs all competitors and far exceeds the Detroit Three combined. Tesla cars, which some drivers compare to spaceships, are especially popular in California and China.

The Mach-E has been portrayed as the first serious competitor to Tesla in terms of sleek design, speed and handling.

Unsettled
When reading the threats from Tesla fans, Rodriguez said he didn't think to take screenshots before reporting the content to Facebook and Twitter.

"As messages were coming in, I was just hitting report," he told the Free Press on Saturday.

Rodriguez was so unsettled at 11:30 p.m. one night that he reached out to Mike Levine, Ford North America product communications manager, who himself had been targeted with relentless and harsh criticism online after defending Mach-E owners on Twitter.

Meanwhile, the posts submitted for review appear to have been removed.

Rodriguez said he was especially alarmed by comments on the Tesla Owners Worldwide private Facebook page, which listed 87,500 members on Saturday. A member had posted a story about his favorable Mach-E reviews and it unleashed a torrent of what he perceived to be disturbing attacks.

"One was, like, 'I hope the car loses control and crashes.' Or 'The car is going to catch fire when you're driving it,'" he said. "I took that as a threat. For you to have any kind of ill will on anybody, why would you say that? Then someone privately messaged me, 'You're full of s*** and I know what your Tesla looks like. If I see it …' That private message on Facebook was more threatening."

Someone in the Tesla Facebook group tagged Rodriguez, alerting him to comments.

"Before I knew it, about 65% of the comments were just bashing me," he said. "Part of me wants to get rid of my Tesla just not to have the association. A couple here and there, OK. But folks are commenting and saying disgusting things. 'You let big oil buy you?' and 'How much are people paying you?' If that's what's associated with being a Tesla owner, why do I want to be part of that group? It's not cool."



In response to the death threat tweet on Saturday, Levine replied, "So sorry to hear this. Horrifying. Hope you reported those."

A request for comment from Tesla on Sunday was not immediately answered.

A mission
Rodriguez flew to San Diego, California, to pick up his new SUV and drive it cross-country to the east coast in February. With a 2020 Tesla Model X in his garage, the electric vehicle advocate was curious to see how the high-profile all-electric vehicles compared. He shot video and posted it on YouTube. He has been active on social media, engaging with auto aficionados.

That has displeased Tesla fans.



"Some Tesla owners are fanatics of the brand and of Elon Musk," said veteran analyst John McElroy, "Autoline After Hours" host. "In their minds, they're on a messianic mission to save the planet. Anyone who is not with them is against them."

More:Elon Musk trolls GM, Chrysler on Twitter. Ford CEO responds with 1 word.

More:Tesla investor tweets praise for Mustang Mach-E, trashes Ford

Tesla fans have insisted online that Ford must be paying regular people to post nice things on social media about the Mach-E, which has garnered a number of honors including 2021 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year award in January, selected by some 50 international jurors.

When Karl Brauer, executive analyst at the car listing site iSeeCars.com, learned of the comments targeting Rodriguez, he said, "Why am I not surprised?"

"I’d like to think this represents an extremely small minority of fanatical Tesla owners," Brauer said. "It’s hard to believe it’s a genuine risk for Mach-E owners, but we sadly live in a world where every threat of violence has to be taken seriously."

The auto industry has had vicious conflict between brands in the past, Brauer said.

"There are stories of Japanese car owners in the Detroit area facing the same issue back in the '70s and '80s. It speaks to the evolution of the industry when a Ford owner can face any form of threat in the U.S.," he said. "Nobody threatens an opponent who is seen as a nonissue."

The aggressive response is revealing, Brauer said. "If Tesla owners are trying to show courage and confidence in the presence of a rival, they’re doing it wrong."

While Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas wrote in March that "Mustang Mach-E Steals Major Tesla Sales," Tesla is still considered a global leader in all-electric vehicles.

Tesla was founded in 2003. Ford was founded in 1903.

On Friday, Tesla stock closed at $667.93 per share with a market value of $635 billion. Ford stock closed at $12.75 per share with a market value of $47.56 billion. By comparison, crosstown rival General Motors closed at $57.46 with a market value of $83.28 billion.

What Mach-E offers that Tesla does not, Ford CEO Jim Farley said in November, "For me, the Mach-E is the first true competitor with Tesla. It's got Detroit swagger."




SOURCE: Detroit Free Press

I was at the vet the other day and a guy pulled up in a clearly brand new Mach-e. It was the first one I’ve seen. I wanted to chat with him about it but we had to go. I am no fan of Ford but I certainly hope it will be a great car for this guy. Anything less than a great car does the industry a disservice.

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

I don't use any social media platforms. I hate people.

What are those?

 

[Crissa]

I don't use any social media platforms. I hate people.

You're using one now. ^-^

-Crissa

 

[strongsafety31]

Sergio Rodriguez never imagined saying nice things about his new Ford Mustang Mach-E would elicit death threats from Tesla owners on social media.

But this is 2021, after all. No one seems surprised by much.

What started this round of social media sparring was a tweet on Saturday by Jace Craft-Miller, who picked up his Carbonized Gray Mustang Mach-E First Edition on March 29.

The 29-year-old sales project manager from Cleveland, Ohio, tweeted, "All these Tesla fanbois reach out saying how much they hate the Mach-E ... blah blah."

And Rodriguez, who was featured in the Free Press in early March, replied, "I've had them message me death threats over my joy with the Mach-E."

Rodriguez, 41, a U.S. Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq and specialized in explosive ordnance disposal, is now a military contractor living in Saint Marys, Georgia.

The fiery debate among Ford and Tesla owners reflects the intensity surrounding a growing all-electric market dominated by Tesla. CEO Elon Musk is widely credited as an innovative leader who helped transform public perception of the vehicles.

As a result, Tesla has been a darling of Wall Street with a market value that dwarfs all competitors and far exceeds the Detroit Three combined. Tesla cars, which some drivers compare to spaceships, are especially popular in California and China.

The Mach-E has been portrayed as the first serious competitor to Tesla in terms of sleek design, speed and handling.

Unsettled
When reading the threats from Tesla fans, Rodriguez said he didn't think to take screenshots before reporting the content to Facebook and Twitter.

"As messages were coming in, I was just hitting report," he told the Free Press on Saturday.

Rodriguez was so unsettled at 11:30 p.m. one night that he reached out to Mike Levine, Ford North America product communications manager, who himself had been targeted with relentless and harsh criticism online after defending Mach-E owners on Twitter.

Meanwhile, the posts submitted for review appear to have been removed.

Rodriguez said he was especially alarmed by comments on the Tesla Owners Worldwide private Facebook page, which listed 87,500 members on Saturday. A member had posted a story about his favorable Mach-E reviews and it unleashed a torrent of what he perceived to be disturbing attacks.

"One was, like, 'I hope the car loses control and crashes.' Or 'The car is going to catch fire when you're driving it,'" he said. "I took that as a threat. For you to have any kind of ill will on anybody, why would you say that? Then someone privately messaged me, 'You're full of s*** and I know what your Tesla looks like. If I see it …' That private message on Facebook was more threatening."

Someone in the Tesla Facebook group tagged Rodriguez, alerting him to comments.

"Before I knew it, about 65% of the comments were just bashing me," he said. "Part of me wants to get rid of my Tesla just not to have the association. A couple here and there, OK. But folks are commenting and saying disgusting things. 'You let big oil buy you?' and 'How much are people paying you?' If that's what's associated with being a Tesla owner, why do I want to be part of that group? It's not cool."



In response to the death threat tweet on Saturday, Levine replied, "So sorry to hear this. Horrifying. Hope you reported those."

A request for comment from Tesla on Sunday was not immediately answered.

A mission
Rodriguez flew to San Diego, California, to pick up his new SUV and drive it cross-country to the east coast in February. With a 2020 Tesla Model X in his garage, the electric vehicle advocate was curious to see how the high-profile all-electric vehicles compared. He shot video and posted it on YouTube. He has been active on social media, engaging with auto aficionados.

That has displeased Tesla fans.



"Some Tesla owners are fanatics of the brand and of Elon Musk," said veteran analyst John McElroy, "Autoline After Hours" host. "In their minds, they're on a messianic mission to save the planet. Anyone who is not with them is against them."

More:Elon Musk trolls GM, Chrysler on Twitter. Ford CEO responds with 1 word.

More:Tesla investor tweets praise for Mustang Mach-E, trashes Ford

Tesla fans have insisted online that Ford must be paying regular people to post nice things on social media about the Mach-E, which has garnered a number of honors including 2021 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year award in January, selected by some 50 international jurors.

When Karl Brauer, executive analyst at the car listing site iSeeCars.com, learned of the comments targeting Rodriguez, he said, "Why am I not surprised?"

"I’d like to think this represents an extremely small minority of fanatical Tesla owners," Brauer said. "It’s hard to believe it’s a genuine risk for Mach-E owners, but we sadly live in a world where every threat of violence has to be taken seriously."

The auto industry has had vicious conflict between brands in the past, Brauer said.

"There are stories of Japanese car owners in the Detroit area facing the same issue back in the '70s and '80s. It speaks to the evolution of the industry when a Ford owner can face any form of threat in the U.S.," he said. "Nobody threatens an opponent who is seen as a nonissue."

The aggressive response is revealing, Brauer said. "If Tesla owners are trying to show courage and confidence in the presence of a rival, they’re doing it wrong."

While Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas wrote in March that "Mustang Mach-E Steals Major Tesla Sales," Tesla is still considered a global leader in all-electric vehicles.

Tesla was founded in 2003. Ford was founded in 1903.

On Friday, Tesla stock closed at $667.93 per share with a market value of $635 billion. Ford stock closed at $12.75 per share with a market value of $47.56 billion. By comparison, crosstown rival General Motors closed at $57.46 with a market value of $83.28 billion.

What Mach-E offers that Tesla does not, Ford CEO Jim Farley said in November, "For me, the Mach-E is the first true competitor with Tesla. It's got Detroit swagger."




SOURCE: Detroit Free Press

No one should be criticized for ANY car they buy. Having said that, the Mach E has some faults.
The fit and finish is outstanding, probably better than Tesla. The design is impressive.
The software is another story. On youtube channel 'EV and Chill' they have a Tesla and a Mach E. When she approaches the Mach E with her phone the doors do not unlock and she ends up using the code buttons on the door. When she gets in the car, it takes her 5, 10, or 15 minutes to access the climate control menu because it won't connect to her phone. The screen reaction time is slow and clunky. When she goes to the rear of the car with hands full, she tries to run her foot under the rear bumper to open the hatch and most times it takes several tries before the hatch pops open.....and sometimes she has to put the objects down and use the latch on the door. When they go to EV charging stations to recharge, there is always some problem before it is finally connected and charging. She has not been able to use her 250 free w/hrs because of this.
None of these problems exist with Tesla.
I am sure these problems will be fixed, but this car is a distant second to a Tesla.
Having said that, the more EVs in the world, the better off everyone is.

 

[Old Pro]

Phony victimhood for Ford Mach E publicity.

 

[JJ_Tex]

It's been a year, but social networks are still discussing this topic. I wonder if anything has changed since then, or if this is a special way to cause a stir - to write here and then hysterical about Tesla for a couple of years

There are a lot of stupid people/assholes in this world, so doubt it. For some reason cars in general seem to be a hot topic for triggering. In the past 12 months I have experienced:

- ICE vehicles parking in EV charging spots. Sometimes intentional, sometimes just stupid people.
- Diesel truck spewing black smoke all over a Prius
- Telsa owner snobbery over other types of EVs in our neighborhood website
- My personal favorite: We were in Jackson Hole for a few days and I parked my F150 hybrid in the hybrid-only parking that happened to be right in front of our place. Lots of looks and comments getting in/out of the vehicle, including one crunchy Karen yelling at me that I'm a "typical Texan who doesn't care about the environment". After a few incidents, I just moved to a much less convenient parking lot a few blocks away so I didn't have to worry about getting keyed.

People are nuts.

 

[HaulingAss]

Wow, some deranged individuals sure trigger easy.

No doubt. But I think the 'victim' here is a little deranged himself. It sounds like this is the "death threat" he is reporting:

"One was, like, 'I hope the car loses control and crashes.' Or 'The car is going to catch fire when you're driving it,'" he said. "I took that as a threat.

No court of law would ever consider either of those a real death threat. Probably just a teenager getting in on the 'action'.

This article is another Tesla hit piece making a big deal out of a few hateful comments. People need to toughen up and realize there are loud-mouths out there with emotional problems. It doesn't mean your life is in danger.

Next.

 

[Old Pro]

Have we reached maximum "Ford Mach-E" yet? I still would not buy one.

 

[jerhenderson]

Sergio Rodriguez never imagined saying nice things about his new Ford Mustang Mach-E would elicit death threats from Tesla owners on social media.

But this is 2021, after all. No one seems surprised by much.

What started this round of social media sparring was a tweet on Saturday by Jace Craft-Miller, who picked up his Carbonized Gray Mustang Mach-E First Edition on March 29.

The 29-year-old sales project manager from Cleveland, Ohio, tweeted, "All these Tesla fanbois reach out saying how much they hate the Mach-E ... blah blah."

And Rodriguez, who was featured in the Free Press in early March, replied, "I've had them message me death threats over my joy with the Mach-E."

Rodriguez, 41, a U.S. Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq and specialized in explosive ordnance disposal, is now a military contractor living in Saint Marys, Georgia.

The fiery debate among Ford and Tesla owners reflects the intensity surrounding a growing all-electric market dominated by Tesla. CEO Elon Musk is widely credited as an innovative leader who helped transform public perception of the vehicles.

As a result, Tesla has been a darling of Wall Street with a market value that dwarfs all competitors and far exceeds the Detroit Three combined. Tesla cars, which some drivers compare to spaceships, are especially popular in California and China.

The Mach-E has been portrayed as the first serious competitor to Tesla in terms of sleek design, speed and handling.

Unsettled
When reading the threats from Tesla fans, Rodriguez said he didn't think to take screenshots before reporting the content to Facebook and Twitter.

"As messages were coming in, I was just hitting report," he told the Free Press on Saturday.

Rodriguez was so unsettled at 11:30 p.m. one night that he reached out to Mike Levine, Ford North America product communications manager, who himself had been targeted with relentless and harsh criticism online after defending Mach-E owners on Twitter.

Meanwhile, the posts submitted for review appear to have been removed.

Rodriguez said he was especially alarmed by comments on the Tesla Owners Worldwide private Facebook page, which listed 87,500 members on Saturday. A member had posted a story about his favorable Mach-E reviews and it unleashed a torrent of what he perceived to be disturbing attacks.

"One was, like, 'I hope the car loses control and crashes.' Or 'The car is going to catch fire when you're driving it,'" he said. "I took that as a threat. For you to have any kind of ill will on anybody, why would you say that? Then someone privately messaged me, 'You're full of s*** and I know what your Tesla looks like. If I see it …' That private message on Facebook was more threatening."

Someone in the Tesla Facebook group tagged Rodriguez, alerting him to comments.

"Before I knew it, about 65% of the comments were just bashing me," he said. "Part of me wants to get rid of my Tesla just not to have the association. A couple here and there, OK. But folks are commenting and saying disgusting things. 'You let big oil buy you?' and 'How much are people paying you?' If that's what's associated with being a Tesla owner, why do I want to be part of that group? It's not cool."



In response to the death threat tweet on Saturday, Levine replied, "So sorry to hear this. Horrifying. Hope you reported those."

A request for comment from Tesla on Sunday was not immediately answered.

A mission
Rodriguez flew to San Diego, California, to pick up his new SUV and drive it cross-country to the east coast in February. With a 2020 Tesla Model X in his garage, the electric vehicle advocate was curious to see how the high-profile all-electric vehicles compared. He shot video and posted it on YouTube. He has been active on social media, engaging with auto aficionados.

That has displeased Tesla fans.



"Some Tesla owners are fanatics of the brand and of Elon Musk," said veteran analyst John McElroy, "Autoline After Hours" host. "In their minds, they're on a messianic mission to save the planet. Anyone who is not with them is against them."

More:Elon Musk trolls GM, Chrysler on Twitter. Ford CEO responds with 1 word.

More:Tesla investor tweets praise for Mustang Mach-E, trashes Ford

Tesla fans have insisted online that Ford must be paying regular people to post nice things on social media about the Mach-E, which has garnered a number of honors including 2021 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year award in January, selected by some 50 international jurors.

When Karl Brauer, executive analyst at the car listing site iSeeCars.com, learned of the comments targeting Rodriguez, he said, "Why am I not surprised?"

"I’d like to think this represents an extremely small minority of fanatical Tesla owners," Brauer said. "It’s hard to believe it’s a genuine risk for Mach-E owners, but we sadly live in a world where every threat of violence has to be taken seriously."

The auto industry has had vicious conflict between brands in the past, Brauer said.

"There are stories of Japanese car owners in the Detroit area facing the same issue back in the '70s and '80s. It speaks to the evolution of the industry when a Ford owner can face any form of threat in the U.S.," he said. "Nobody threatens an opponent who is seen as a nonissue."

The aggressive response is revealing, Brauer said. "If Tesla owners are trying to show courage and confidence in the presence of a rival, they’re doing it wrong."

While Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas wrote in March that "Mustang Mach-E Steals Major Tesla Sales," Tesla is still considered a global leader in all-electric vehicles.

Tesla was founded in 2003. Ford was founded in 1903.

On Friday, Tesla stock closed at $667.93 per share with a market value of $635 billion. Ford stock closed at $12.75 per share with a market value of $47.56 billion. By comparison, crosstown rival General Motors closed at $57.46 with a market value of $83.28 billion.

What Mach-E offers that Tesla does not, Ford CEO Jim Farley said in November, "For me, the Mach-E is the first true competitor with Tesla. It's got Detroit swagger."




SOURCE: Detroit Free Press

how many Ford fans have threatened Tesla owners? my point is that some people are stupid.