File this under the “If it sounds too good to be true…” category. On Monday we received a flood of “leads” that said Elon Musk and Tesla were going to hit the market with a new electric motorhome. And for only $17,000! And it would travel huge distances on a single charge! Musk has been known to produce some grand ideas, but this isn’t one of them. There is no Tesla motorhome.
Social media lights up to idea of Tesla motorhome
The so-called announcement popped up all over social media. We found two on YouTube, one short post, a couple of minutes long, another nearly a half-hour in length. Posters also had entries on Facebook and Instagram. Our first lead came from an internet news site based in Bangladesh. A TikTok video got three million hits.
Not everyone listed the cost of the Tesla motorhome at such an astonishingly low price. But nevertheless, the news made a big hit. And why not? Here’s the caption from one of the storied videos:
“Elon Musk has always been known for shaking up industries. From revolutionizing electric cars with Tesla to changing space exploration with SpaceX, he’s consistently pushed the boundaries of innovation. Today, he’s set to make another monumental announcement: the release of Tesla’s $17,000 motorhome.
“This announcement comes at a time when the automotive and housing industries are experiencing significant shifts, driven by the need for more sustainable solutions. Musk has always had his finger on the pulse of what the future requires, and the Tesla motorhome is his answer to the growing desire for a more flexible, eco-friendly lifestyle.”
Yes, “another monumental announcement” indeed. And it’s all nonsense.
Seeds of fertile imaginations
The seeds for fertile imaginations and social media hipsters may have come from an announcement that Tesla REALLY did make. Earlier this month, on October 11, a Tesla post on X.com showed futuristic (and, we might add, mock-up) images of a new Tesla concept. Robovan. A van, yes, but not a motorhome. To date, neither Tesla nor Musk have ever said anything about building any sort of RV.
While the news may have done a “stop the presses!” across the world, it’s still bogus. But we wonder—just a bit—how did the folks over at Winnebago’s e-motorhome development group feel when they first heard the news?
##RVT1181b
A “Johnny Robot” story maybe ?
As the hurricane “v*rgins” learned this year, electricity is NOT always availbale!
It would appear Mr. Musk is in for a ride which is going to be purported and expanded by the media for the sake of sensationalism and to tear apart his reputation for joining the party not to their liking. Sorry this almost got political!
Yeah amazing how the darlings from one side suddenly become villains when they won’t tow the line .being this is an RV site it gives new meaning to the word ” tow “
Actually, the word you were looking for was “toe”, as in “toe the line.”
The Winnebago E van is back on the fantasy E shelf as well. Completely impractical. It was only good for garnering some press and clicks for awhile.
Anybody paying attention will notice that etrucks are selling in the high 5 figures. If something like this were to become reality it would likely be sold somewhere around 200k given what gas motorhomes similar to this are going for. I guess some people will believe just about anything they hear/see.
I love to see the comments on various articles. Usually the comments are better than the article.
If you believed even for a second that anyone would offer a new, all electric RV for $17000….
I’ll take “AI fueled fever dreams on the Internet” for $500, Alex!
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$170,000 perhaps $17,000 will get you an empty shell motor and batteries not included
Thank you, Russ and Tina! Yes, sadly, the internet can make the unreal appear real. Have a great day and safe travels!