There was a time in 2013 when George Clooney had nothing good to say about Tesla. In a New York Post interview, the no less than suave superstar had this to say, “I had a Tesla. I was one of the first cats with a Tesla,” Clooney bragged to Esquire in a recent interview. “But I’m telling you, I’ve been on the side of the road a while in that thing. And I said to them, ‘Look, guys, why am I always stuck on the side of the...road? Make it work, one way or another.’”
Soon after, Elon Musk of Tesla dropped the Roadster--the bane of Clooney's vehicular existence--to focus his sights on the Model S, which has become a favourite among Hollywood celebrities--including, you guessed it, George Clooney. Here are a few celebs who own the Model S.
- Jay Leno
- Jennifer Garner
- Steven Spielberg
- James Cameron
- Lawrence Fishburne
- Don Cheadel
- Morgan Freeman
- Leonardo Di Caprio
- George Clooney
I love Tesla. If I had the money, I'd own one--I think they're cool, progressive, and definitely make a statement that you are one who loves the speed of the open road, you love technology, and you love the earth--but, we all know that's a load of marketing propaganda, and thus why those whose livelihood rest on appearances (namely celebrities) own them.
The fact remains that these are not vehicles the average person can afford, and again, as I have said in previous posts about Tesla, they set up an us vs. them schism: that just because I drive a Tesla means I am more economical and less destructive of the planet than those who drive the beater cars or the 1990s mini van. That just because I drive a Tesla, I am more progressive, more liberal, more intellectual than you. Again, not true.
We've all got to be who we are. Maybe Clooney still hates Tesla, but drives it because it makes him look more 'Eco'.
Now it seems plausible that as the technology improves over the next couple of years, and more car manufacturers enter the marketplace, the prices for e-cars will fall markedly and thus become more affordable and ubiquitous--we actually know that's where the technology is going. However, then we are dealing with a transition to machine-driven rather than person-driven vehicles which will have its own problems and perils.
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