With SpaceX and Tesla being closely linked to one another, one would expect SpaceX employees to go to the latter when buying a car. However, one SpaceX astronaut made the decision to buy a Ford and recently explained why.
Sian Proctor became the first black female spacecraft pilot during a SpaceX mission. Though you might similarly expect her to pilot a Tesla here on Earth, that isn’t the case. Taking to Twitter, Proctor shared she bought a Ford Mustang Mach-E, one of Ford’s takes on electric vehicles. Understandably, some people were a bit confused she didn’t opt for a Tesla. In her words, “The overall feel and ergonomics is important and I loved my test drive but availability, tax credit, and overall final price where [sic] the three biggest factors.”
The reasons Proctor gave are all valid, but she also elaborated and said inventory was a huge factor as well. “Inventory was my biggest issue. Finding an electric car that was available now from any dealer was nearly impossible and even the Ford salesperson couldn’t believe this car was available,” Proctor tweeted.
Proctor noted the price point too, which is quite considerable. The Tesla Model Y currently sits at $60,190, while the Ford Mustang Mach-E is $37,495 after the credit deduction. The credit deduction refers to the $7,500 tax credit the Mach-E qualifies for. Regardless, she also explained the purchase was not a slight against Elon Musk or SpaceX and was purely practical.
Man Blows up Tesla After Enduring Numerous Problems
Sian Proctor’s decision to buy a Ford as opposed to a Tesla may also come from stories of the latter not working. In one recent instance, a man was so sick of his Tesla not working he decided to blow it up.
Tuomas Katainen was a Tesla Model S owner, emphasis on the word “was.” After experiencing repeated problems with the vehicle and not receiving help from the company, he took matters into his own hands. The incident came to be after Katainen waited a month for the dealership to tell him his Model S needed a new battery pack. That may seem like a simple solution, but the pack cost $22,480 and his Model S was out of warranty, Brobible stated.
Rather than pay to have the car fixed, Katainen bought 60 pounds of dynamite to blow it up. That’s not all he did though, as he strapped a doll that looks like Elon Musk into the driver’s seat. Naturally, Katainen filmed it.
In the wild clip, you see the explosion from several angles and even in slow motion. I’m no mechanic, but I think it may need more than a new battery pack now.
