Tesla Motors, a notorious review in The New York Times of its Model S electric sedan, and the company's future were the topics of discussion last week among High Gear Media editors during a Google+ Hangout on Air video chat.
The participants were editorial director Marty Padgett, social media manager Joel Feder, and Green Car Reports editor John Voelcker.
The first topic was the recent New York Times Model S review, and the less-than-pleased reaction by Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA].
That review ended with a dead Model S being loaded onto a flat-bed truck due to a dead battery. Tesla released data logs from the test car, which showed discrepancies with what the journalist had written.
This led to a deeper discussion on how the fallout from the Times revew could affect car reviews and automotive journalism in future. Should automakers save data on all drives by reporters in their cars? Is it appropriate for automakers to track what journalists do in press vehicles?
Before wrapping up the video chat, the team discussed what Tesla might say during its quarterly earnings call, which took place just a few hours after the discussion was recorded.
If you weren't able to watch the video live, you're in luck. It's now on YouTube for your viewing pleasure.
After you've watched the video, let us know your thoughts on the Tesla/New York Times situation--and what effect it should have on future automotive reviews--in the Comments below.
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