Tesla Fans Threaten Mach-E Owner With Death Because Internet

By John Coyle - April 12, 2021

In case you need to be told whether or not someone’s vehicular preference warrants a death threat? The answer is no.

Over the course of automotive history, there have been no shortage of Hatfield-McCoy-style feuds. The obvious rivalries which spring to mind are Ford vs. Chevrolet, Mercedes vs. BMW, and of course, Ferrari vs. Lamborghini. And honestly? I think that’s wonderful. Cars are as sentient as machines get, they inspire great passion, and competitive zeal makes for better products and performances. It’s one of the reasons a Lakers-Celtics game will never, ever be boring.

Now, we can add a new rivalry to the automotive cannon — Tesla vs. Everyone Else.

Of course, it’s no secret that Elon Musk’s fanboys are legion, and tend to shout down any criticism of the Dear Leader’s product. Like, for example, how Autopilot is a criminally negligent name for a robust suite of driver assistance features, or how the cabins of its luxury vehicles have all the style of a vaccination room at Walgreens. But recently, the new owner of a Mustang Mach-E wound up receiving death threats for — of all things — posting about how much he likes his new green machine.

Details come from out friends at the Detroit Free Press, which reported on the crazy level of hate military contractor Sergio Rodriguez has gotten since he began talking about his Mach-E First Edition on social media. Here’s a sample of just how heated things have gotten:

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 …’

Now, I don’t know about you? But that sounds pretty threatening to me. And it wasn’t even the worst of the messages he received. Many of them got deleted before he started taking things seriously and reporting them.

If anything can be considered even remotely amusing about this situation, it’s the fact that Rodriguez actually owns a Tesla as well. So while he was posting comparisons of his Mach-E and Tesla Model X, he’s obviously no hater. But according to the article, he might not be for much longer.

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.

For more details, including info on the conspiracy theory that Ford is paying people to make positive comments about the Mach-E, I encourage you to head over to the Detroit Free Press and read the whole sordid tale. Fortunately, there’s been no realization to any threats, veiled or otherwise, against Rodriguez. But it’s still sad to see such a clear example of how just how toxic the online world can be.

That said? One thing is certain: Tesla gleefully put a target on its back, and an entire industry, including giants who’ve been making cars for over a century, are aiming to hit it. So all Musk’s fanboys should grow a thicker skin.

Photos: Ford