| Elon Musk's Crash Course | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Emma Schwartz |
| Starring | Elon Musk |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Emma Schwartz |
| Original release | |
| Network | FX |
| Release | May 20, 2022 (2022-05-20) |
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|---|---|---|
Personal Companies Politics In the arts and media | ||
Elon Musk's Crash Course is a 2022New York Times–FXdocumentary film directed and produced by Emma Schwartz with reporting by Cade Metz and Neal Boudette.[1] The documentary explores the promises made byTesla's CEOElon Musk in regards toself-driving cars and contrasts that with the fatalaccidents that have occurred using the technology.[2]
The documentary was released on May 20, 2022, as an edition ofThe New York Times Presents on FX andFX on Hulu.
Elon Musk's Crash Course explores the claims made by Musk aboutself-driving cars and their actual capabilities. The film includes multiple interviews, including former Tesla engineers who worked on the self-driving software which controls the cars. The film compares the concerns raised about the technology to the public statements made by Musk.[1]
The film focuses on the 2016death of Joshua Brown, a formerU.S. Navy SEAL who is the first U.S. fatality while using Tesla'sAutopilot.[3][4] Brown was considered an adamant fan of Tesla, having posted over two dozen videos about his Tesla and its Autopilot features.[5][6]
The documentary also explores Tesla's safety features as it developed the self-driving technology, starting with theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) investigation into the 38 accidents that occurred in 2016. The film also focuses on the death of Walter Huang in March 2018 when his Tesla hit a concrete wall at 70 mph, and Jeremy Banner, who was killed in March 2019 when his Tesla drove under a tractor-trailer.Robert Sumwalt, former chair of theNational Transportation Safety Board, makes the claim that Tesla has continued to ignore safety reform following these fatal accidents.[7]
Russ Mitchell of theLos Angeles Times wrote that the film is "solidly reported and dead-accurate".[8]The Guardian writes that the film does not break new ground, but rather comes across as "cogent synthesis and assemblage of ample archival material".[9]Salon concludes that despite Musk's media presence and the high-profile accidents involving Autopilot, Teslas still retain their status as sought after automobiles.[10]
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