---
title: "Tesla Blames Crash Reports on Short-Seller"
description: "In a statement, Tesla stated that a petition about unintended acceleration crash reports \"is completely false and was brought by a Tesla short-seller.\""
date: "2020-01-21"
modified: "2020-01-21"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-blames-crash-reports-short-sellers"
categories:
  - "Advanced Transport"
  - "Tesla"
tags:
  - "electric cars"
  - "elon musk"
  - "tesla"
  - "the digest"
---

# Tesla Blames Crash Reports on Short-Seller

![In a statement, Tesla stated that a petition about unintended acceleration crash reports "is completely false and was brought by a Tesla short-seller."](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/tesla-blames-crash-reports-short-sellers.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Tesla/Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Crash Course

*Reuters* [reported last week](<https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-probe-idUSKBN1ZG1IL?taid=5e21c199dbd6c90001a8ce12&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter>) that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) may launch an investigation into driver complaints about crash-causing "sudden unintended acceleration" that might affect half a million Tesla vehicles.

But Tesla fired back in a [strongly worded statement](<https://www.tesla.com/blog/no-unintended-acceleration-tesla-vehicles>) Monday, saying the claims were "completely false" and "brought by a Tesla short-seller."

## Big Short

Short sellers are investors who bet against a stock, potentially profiting from a drop in its value. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has a long history of [complaining](<https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/tesla-elon-musk-berates-short-sellers-some-say-gripes-arent-true-2018-10-1027594180>) about short sellers, who he's [frequently accused](<https://futurism.com/tesla-short-sellers-investors-elon-musk>) of trying to destroy his electric car company.

The news comes after soaring Tesla shares made it the [most valuable auto company](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-most-valuable-auto-maker-us-history>) in US history earlier this month — to the [great detriment](<https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/04/investing/tesla-short-losses/index.html>) of short sellers.

## Brake Dance

The petition sent to the NHTSA cited driver complaints about unexpected accelerations that allegedly caused Tesla vehicles of various models and production years to crash into parked cars, chain link fences, and even garage doors.

But Tesla says that's nonsense.

"We investigate every single incident where the driver alleges to us that their vehicle accelerated contrary to their input, and in every case where we had the vehicle's data, we confirmed that the car operated as designed," reads the statement. "In other words, the car accelerates if, and only if, the driver told it to do so, and it slows or stops when the driver applies the brake."

**READ MORE:** [Tesla says faulty acceleration allegation is ‘completely false’](<https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/20/21074318/tesla-says-faulty-acceleration-allegation-is-completely-false>) \[*The Verge*\]

**More on Tesla:** *[Government Might Investigate Teslas Accelerating Unexpectedly](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/government-might-investigate-teslas-accelerating-unexpectedly>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)