At least two Facebook (FB) posts claimed that Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the launch of a “water engine” through a post on X (formerly known as Twitter). This is not true.
Musk made no such announcement on X. Tesla, Musk’s automotive and clean energy company, did not release a press statement about such a product either.
Politifact, a U.S. based fact-checking organization, debunked the same claim.
On Nov. 9, an FB post claimed:
“Elon Musk: ‘I Just Released My Water Engine, I Will DESTROY The Entire Car Industry AGAIN’
Musk made this surprise announcement through a post on X, which used to be called Twitter. He shared that Tesla is shifting its focus from battery power to hydrogen power. This change comes after Tesla faced challenges with their 4,680 battery cells, leading them to rethink their energy strategy….
The water engine is not just another option; it’s a major innovation that could completely transform the automotive industry and beyond. With this, Tesla hopes to lead the way to a more sustainable future, staying true to Musk’s commitment to technological progress and environmental care.”
Another FB post in Filipino, which appeared Nov. 11, claimed:
“Tubig ang Magpapatakbo sa Sasakyan? ?Pinakamayamang Tao sa Boung Mundo na si Elon Musk may kamangha-manghang rebelasyon tungkol sa bagong water engine ng Tesla na kayang baguhin ang buong industriya ng sasakyan.”
(Water to power a car? Richest man in the world Elon Musk has an amazing revelation about Tesla’s new water engine that could revolutionize the car industry.)
Musk has not posted on X about Tesla shifting its focus from battery power to hydrogen power.
Two of the three images included in the posts may have been generated using artificial intelligence (A.I.), according to A.I. detection tool TrueMedia.
Posted by FB pages Monroy Hives (created on Feb. 21, 2013) and PH Viral HUB (created on July 31, 2016), the erroneous claims garnered a total of over 42,153 reactions, 4,916 comments, and 5,206 shares.
These appeared a day after Tesla hit a $1 trillion market value after the victory of Donald Trump in this month’s U.S. elections.