Recently, an investigation carried out by a famous American daily strongly damaged the image of the electric giant Tesla and Elon Musk. This denunciation, which concerns serious environmental violations, triggered another investigation, currently being carried out by two leading entities, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Heavy accusations against Tesla
Just appointed by Donald Trump to head the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with the particular objective of reducing federal spending, Elon Musk is in turmoil today. Indeed, an investigation published by the Wall Street Journal on November 24, 2024 places the Tesla company in a very bad position. She indeed relates accusations of violations of anti-pollution standards which target, among other things, the Tesla Giga Texas factory (or Gigafactory Texas) located in Austin.
The investigation reveals that at Gigafactory Texas, where the now famous Cybertruck is produced, a defective foundry furnace continued to operate for months. Consequently, the release of toxic substances into the atmosphere and exposure of workers to ground-level temperatures of up to 100°C. Above all, the factory would have spilled more than 980,000 liters of caustic water which contains sodium hydroxide in the city of Austin sewer system. This spill, which far exceeds authorized limits, took place over three days in September 2024.
Another alleged fact is the concealment of an evaporation basin during the Cyber Rodeo promotional evening in 2022. This basin of more than 24,000 cubic meters which was used to recover wastewater and chemicals was filled with sulfuric and nitric acid. However, it emitted an atrocious odor and a deceased deer was even found there.
An official investigation has just been launched
The daily investigation, however, paints the picture of Tesla, a company in which productivity would largely take precedence over environmental priorities. Employees would also be affected, with some whistleblowers having been pushed out after signing a confidentiality agreement. Furthermore, another establishment was singled out: the Tesla factory in Fremont (California), which allegedly violated anti-pollution rules for five years. The document returns to 112 air pollution permit violations to which are added 75 new notifications since the last formal notice.
The Wall Street Journal’s denunciation, which is accompanied by hundreds of pages of documents, photos and videostriggered another investigation, this time conducted officially and jointly by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Obviously, this affair on Tesla strongly impacts Elon Musk who we know in particular for his virtuous declarations on the environment and the protection of human life. However, it is important to wait for the conclusion of the EPA and TCEQ investigation to make a definitive decision on the case of the boss of Tesla and SpaceX.
