Elon Musk dashed off a tweet on January 6 (or super early January 7) that promised some exciting new features at a Supercharger location in Los Angeles. The Musk Man hinted that an old-fashioned drive-in restaurant complete with wait staff on roller skates may be in the offing. No mention of poodle skirts, however.
Gonna put an old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in LA
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2018
Musk is known to have a fondness for quirky movies like This Is Spinal Tap and Space Balls. His tweet doesn’t say so specifically, but suggests he is also a fan of another classic movie — American Graffiti. Perhaps he wants to recreate Mel’s Diner, that iconic piece of Americana that plays such a prominent part in that film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYf_nyjvxlI
Elon’s fans were quick to endorse the idea and offer their own suggestions. Omer DIRI asked if the restaurant’s menu would pop up automatically on a Tesla’s touchscreen as soon as it arrives. Why not, Elon replied.
Good idea. We can just have the menu pop up as soon as you put the car into park.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2018
What about popcorn? Sure.
Of course. And an outdoor screen that plays a highlight reel of the best scenes in movie history.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2018
If the old-fashioned drive-in diner ever becomes a reality, wouldn’t you like to know which movies Elon thinks should be on that highlight reel? You can use the comments section to nominate your favorites.
What prompted this outburst of good feeling from Elon? Several financial analysts this week have called into question whether the company can survive the “production hell” it is going through with the Model 3. A Seeking Alpha writer suggested that Tesla is simply burning through too much money while selling too few cars. Tesla spends as much money each month as General Motors while selling 95% fewer cars, according to the report. Despite all the hype surrounding the Model 3, this Seeking Alpha contributor believes there is a good chance the company may implode financially before the end of 2018 as investors close their wallets when it comes time for Tesla to raise more money.
Could Musk’s bit of whimsy simply be an attempt to divert attention away from the production woes besetting Model 3 production? Certainly Musk is a master at using social media to get people’s attention. A little misdirection play may be just what the doctor ordered.
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