Ford Mustang Mach-E owner praises car, receives threats from Tesla fans

If you like your new car, and you tell the world you do, what happens next? As one owner of an all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E found out, you might get threats from angry Tesla owners.

And the strangest part? This guy not only bought a Mach-E, but he owns a Tesla, too.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the online abuse and threats are aimed at 41-year-old Sergio Rodriguez, a military contractor and U.S. Army veteran. He’s a fan of all things electric, and according to his Twitter page, that includes his 2017 Hyundai Ioniq EV, a self-guided electric lawnmower, and a 2020 Tesla Model X.

Of that last one, he tweets, “I don’t hate Tesla, I don’t hate my Tesla. I like my Tesla, I’m just annoyed that it’s not performing as advertised… The range and haft shafts annoy me. I don’t plan on selling or dumping it… It’s a beauty.”

But he has higher praise for his Mach-E, which he drove earlier this year from California to his home in Georgia, a total of 3,907 km, and at a cost of US$159.85 to charge it along the way. But when he shared his trip on social media, some Tesla fans accused him of being paid by Ford for the publicity.

It’s annoying. I’ve had some message me death threats over my joy with the Mach-E. You would swear Tesla was their great auntie or other kinfolk. Some of them are complacent with the the defect and just want to be part of the cult…. I mean club. https://t.co/U128qnULYY — Sergio Rodriguez (@LyftGyft) April 3, 2021

Online arguments and accusations seldom stay at a simmer, of course, and more people piled on when someone posted a story about the trip to a Facebook page for Tesla owners. Rodriguez reported that some people said they hoped he crashed, or the car would catch fire, and at one point, said about 65 per cent of all posts on the site were bashing him. That was bad enough, but he then got a private message through Facebook from someone who threatened him, saying “I know what your Tesla looks like.”

Apparently Rodriguez is not the only Mach-E fan to face the wrath of Tesla owners. He’s heard from other owners and enthusiasts, who also report receiving online abuse after making positive comments. That includes Mike Levine, a spokesperson for Ford Motor Company, who said he’d been attacked online after supporting Mach-E owners on social media (although he does his fair share of criticizing Tesla online as well).

While it’s likely the threats and abuse are coming from just a small minority of Tesla owners with batteries where their brains should be, Rodriguez has reported such posts to Twitter and Facebook, which have removed them. And while his Tesla is still parked beside his Mach-E, Rodriguez told the Detroit Free Press that “Part of me wants to get rid of my Tesla just not to have the association” with the online abusers.

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