Implementing self-starvation as a form of protest when all other options have been exhausted is noble. We applaud its use in protesting human rights atrocities, as noblemen such as Mahatma Gandhi did.
According to a report published on Monday by CleanTechnica, the latest group of oppressed and maligned citizens to resort to this extreme form of protest is a group of Norwegian Tesla owners planning a hunger strike to get the attention of Elon Musk.
According to their website, the group appears to be directly pleading with Tesla CEO Elon Musk for help.
“We believe that if Elon Musk is made aware of our troubles, he will solve the situation,” the one-page site reads.
“Please help us get his attention.”
The group’s website contains a laundry list of automotive problems that owners have reported, including cars not starting in cold weather; cars not starting in hot weather; doors not working correctly; charging issues; and short battery life. Poor customer service is also on the list of complaints, with owners claiming that they are frequently put on wait for a “long period” or never get a call back as promised.
The group said they were a “canary in the coal mine,” referring to Norway having the world’s highest proportion of electric automobiles.
As word of the potential hunger strike spread on social media, Musk accidentally fueled the fire by tweeting about fasting.
“On the advice of a good friend, I’ve been fasting periodically & feel healthier,” said Musk in his tweet.
While there is no proof that Musk was referencing the strike, some Twitter users speculated that he was either making a “cruel subtweet” or attempting to manipulate the platform’s algorithm to drown out news of the strike.
Tesla consumers worldwide have long complained about the poor quality, with videos from angry owners frequently going viral on social media.
It is unclear when the strike will begin or how many people are willing to go hungry to draw Musk’s attention.
It’s unclear whether these protestors got the idea from Mahatma Gandhi or not. What is evident is that utilising this tactic for something as minor as malfunctioning luxury EVs is bizarre.
However, we all know how much of a nightmare a broken car could be. It must be disappointing to have paid a significant sum for a new car to have it fall apart. This, however, is not the proper course of action to take. You deliberately undervalue the sacrifice of people who have died for their beliefs when all you have to do is sell your Tesla.
