Elon Musk and

Self-Driving Cars

Hype Statement

It is claimed that Tesla is a fully automated, self-driving vehicle.

Examples of "The Hype"

Marketing/Advertising

"Tesla spends $0 on ads...And it has no problem getting love."

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To boost Tesla's overall appeal as a self-driving car, Elon Musk spent almost no money on traditional advertising (commercials, magazine spreads, banner ads, etc.). Instead, he relied on his social media, viral moments, and loyal fanbase. Musk engaged in a wide range of partnerships with different influencers, including the widely known YouTuber Mr. Beast, as well as Viva, a famous influencer from China. Viva live-streamed Tesla's latest model in 2020, spreading the hype to her fan base of nearly 4 million people. Tesla became the face of a cultural shift/movement, representing more than just a car brand.

Visualizing Technology

Some of Tesla's features can confuse users.

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Teslas are not truly “self-driving cars.” However, this truth is cleverly hidden in the cars’ design. Visualizing Technology (or Tesla vision) refers to the live 3D rendering of your vehicle and its surroundings. This technology is simply a representation of the autopilot’s perspective. However, its appearances can deceive users. It builds trust with the driver, often leading to the user confusing this display for fully autonomous driving capabilities.

Feature Evolution

"See how Teslas are updating around the world in real-time."

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Tesla releases software updates very frequently. Specifically, according to a Tesla Software Tracker, they have released twenty updates in the last fifty days alone, averaging at about 2.8 software updates per week. The rapid rate of Tesla’s feature evolution creates the illusion that their vehicles are more "evolved" and more autonomous than they really are.

Hype Amongst Consumers

Even consumers drive the hype...

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Along with these frequent updates come consumers who buy into and then perpetuate this hype. The YouTuber on the left, like many others, feeds into the hype around self-driving cars, using enthusiasm to get drivers excited, and often using misleading terminology or facts. Terminology like “is wild,” seen in the top image, next to the image of a happy Tesla user, glorifies this technology, creating more hype.

Elon Musk Persona

"Hope we're not just the biological boot loader for digital superintelligence"

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Elon Musk has a great deal of hype surrounding him because of his partnerships with China, Australia, and the US Government. Specifically, comments he has made on his social media platform create hype around his products without backing up his claims with substantial evidence.

These comments include statements like:

"Worth reading Superintelligence by Bostrom. We need to be super careful with AI. Potentially more dangerous than nukes." and
"Hope we're not just the biological boot loader for digital superintelligence. Unfortunately, that is increasingly probable."

Practice Decoding the Hype

The Message and the Context:

What is being claimed?

Elon Musk and Tesla claim that their vehicles are "fully self-driving."

What is extreme about it?

This is extreme because it is untrue. Tesla's cars are not meant to operate without the supervision of a user. Without user supervision, this technology can be dangerous to both passengers in the car and other surrounding drivers.

Who is saying it?

Most of these claims are made by Elon Musk himself or other Tesla employees. These claims can also be reinforced by consumers, such as the example YouTuber seen above.

Who is the target audience?

The target audience is made up of impressionable consumers looking to buy a car that is "fully self-driving."

Impacts, Benefits and Harms:

How does the source benefit from the model/claim(s)?

By making these claims, Tesla is convincing consumers that they're selling a product that doesn't actually exist. This increases the demand for their vehicles, leading to Tesla seeing an increase in sales.

Who else benefits?

Those who benefit by exposing Tesla for not being "Fully Self-Driving" may be rival technology companies, advocates for safety on the road, and unhappy customers seeking refunds.

Who is potentially harmed by it?

Users are harmed the most. They are tricked into buying a vehicle that does not have all the capabilities that it was previously advertised to have.

Accuracy and Support

Does anyone corroborate the claim(s)?

There is no evidence supporting the claim that Tesla's cars are "fully self-driving."

What is the reliability, expertise, or credentials of people making the claim(s)?

The people making these claims are typically investors, financial analysts, technical experts, politicians, and activists.

What incentives do supporters or platforms of the claim(s) have?

The key incentives are financial gain and political power, to the detriment of safety issues and environmental concerns.

Result: The Alternative to the Hype

Messaging and Context ➡️ Tesla trades like a self-driving car.

Impacts, Benefits, and Harms ➡️ These claims are increase the hype around Tesla, thereby (sometimes artificially) boosting its financials.

Accuracy and Support ➡️ Tesla's revenue statements do not represent it being an AI/Robotics company.

Hype: Tesla is a self-driving car.

Alternative: Tesla can be recognized as a well-designed car, but not a self-driving one.

Authors:

Carter Conrad, Claire Gerber, Max Mantel, Szymon Wojciechowski, Aryan Sehrawat

Works Cited

Threewitt, Cherise, et al. “What Does Tesla’s Full-Self Driving Mode Do?” US News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, 2024, cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/advice/tesla-full-self-driving (Visualizing Technology).
Rivers, Stephen. “Tesla Sacks Marketing Team Just Months after Its Creation.” Carscoops, 22 Apr. 2024, www.carscoops.com/2024/04/tesla-sacks-its-marketing-team-just-months-after-its-creation/ (Marketing/Advertising).
Roux, Jano le. “I Spent 30 Days Figuring out Exactly How Tesla Pays $0 for Ads but Stays Ahead.” The Startup, 19 June 2022, medium.com/swlh/i-spent-30-days-figuring-out-exactly-how-tesla-pays-0-for-ads-but-stays-ahead-dedd02e48efc (Marketing/Advertising).
Berfin Cezim. “An In-Depth Look at Tesla’s Marketing Strategy.” Digital Agency Network, 11 Sept. 2024, digitalagencynetwork.com/tesla-marketing-strategy/#tesla-marketing (Marketing/Advertising).
“Tesla Software Tracker.” Tessie.com, 2024, stats.tessie.com/ (Feature Evolution).
Dow, Jameson. “FSD False Advertising Case: Tesla Must Stop Lying or It Can’t Sell Cars, Judge Rules.” Electrek, 17 Dec. 2025, electrek.co/2025/12/17/ca-judge-rules-tesla-lied-about-fsd-must-fix-marketing-within-60-days/ (Marketing/Advertising).
bn. “Bloomberg.” Bloomberg.com, 27 Oct. 2014, www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2014-10-27/teslas-musk-were-summoning-the-demon-with-ai (Elon Musk's Persona).
The Value Portfolio. “Tesla: How Much Longer Can You Hide Weakness.” Seeking Alpha, 9 Mar. 2026, seekingalpha.com/article/4880111-tesla-how-much-longer-can-you-hide-weakness (Mechanism Applied).
“Has Tesla’s Volatility Shaken Institutional Confidence, or Is It an Opportunity.” Kavout, 2025, www.kavout.com/market-lens/has-tesla-s-volatility-shaken-institutional-confidence-or-is-it-an-opportunity (Mechanism Applied).
Reuters Staff. “Tesla CEO Elon Musk Dreams Big but Often Delivers Late.” Reuters, 22 Apr. 2025, www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/elon-musks-late-unfulfilled-tesla-promises-2025-04-22/ (Mechanism Applied).
Shahan, Zachary. “Issues under the Surface with Tesla FSD vs. Waymo Driver - CleanTechnica.” CleanTechnica, 17 Dec. 2025, cleantechnica.com/2025/12/16/issues-under-the-surface-with-tesla-fsd-vs-waymo-driver/ (Mechanism Applied).
Bright, Brandial. “6 Best Self-Driving Cars in the US (2026).” Fifth Level Consulting, 27 June 2025, fifthlevelconsulting.com/best-self-driving-cars-in-the-us/ (The Alternative to the Hype).
sustainablebusiness. “Tesla Pros and Cons – Biggest Insights for 2025 Drivers - Sustainable Business Magazine.” Sustainable Business Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025, sustainablebusinessmagazine.net/eco-review/tesla-pros-and-cons-biggest-insights-for-2025-drivers/ (Mechanism Applied).

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