Tesla CEO Elon Musk acts in an “almost unethical” way said the outgoing CEO of the largest auto dealer chain in the United States.
“I think he is overpromising on autonomous vehicles in an almost unethical way,” said AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson on Friday.
Musk recently said he expects Tesla to have all the features needed for fully self-driving cars by the end of the year.
Jackson also criticized Tesla’s practice of taking orders on the Model 3, saying the cars Tesla has been building are different from the ones the company had said it planned to build. Tesla initially advertised its Model 3 mid-size sedan at a price of $35,000, but has only sold more expensive versions so far.
“There’s not another retailer in America that could get away with that bait and switch,” he said.
Jackson will end his long tenure in the top job at AutoNation in March, and incoming CEO Carl Liebert will start March 11. The dealership reported earnings that missed expectations on Friday.
Tesla has faced political and legal battles in several states over its decision to eschew the traditional dealership model in favor of a direct model that sells to customers.
