Elon Musk’s dad reveals why he turned down a free Tesla from his son
Published on Oct 02, 2023 at 7:35 PM (UTC+4)
by Andie Reeves
Last updated on Oct 03, 2023 at 1:04 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
It turns out Elon Musk’s father doesn’t drive a Tesla.
Recently, Elon Musk offered to gift his father Errol one of his cars, but the present was refused.
READ MORE: Elon Musk drives this specific Tesla model every day
It wasn’t because Errol doesn’t support his son’s company though.
Rather, it was due to the electric vehicle limitations in South Africa, where he lives.
One of the main issues, he said, was the cost of shipping.
It can cost up to $7,000 to deliver a car to South Africa, and the country also charges a 25 percent tariff on all imported vehicles.
The gift would have ultimately cost around $180,000 after fees and shipping.
But even after Elon offered to cover these costs his father still wasn’t interested.
“They weren’t worried about it, but I said ‘Look, it’s just not worth it’,” Errol said.
Had he accepted the gift, Errol would have become one of the first people to own a Tesla in South Africa.
Despite the fact that it is Elon’s home country, his cars are not available there yet.
In fact, there are only 1,500 electric vehicles in the entire country and 300 charging stations.
By comparison, the US has over 1.7 million EVs and more than 130,000 charging stations.
“[With] no charging stations. I said, ‘Please, we don’t want to do this.'”
Musk and his father have an infamously tumultuous relationship.
In the past, Musk has called him a “terrible human being”.
Errol, meanwhile, has publicly stated that his son “needs to grow up”.
All that aside, Musk reportedly continues to financially support his dad.
While Errol refused the gift of a Tesla, he does apparently admire the brand.
He’s also not short on cars to drive.
“I prefer to drive a Rolls-Royce,” Errol said.
“I mean it’s not better than a Tesla, but it’s nicer for me anyway.”
“If I lived in the US, I’d drive a Tesla without a doubt.”
And on days where his Rolls Royce doesn’t cut it, he’s always got his private vintage plane to get him by.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Andie is a content writer from South Africa with a background in broadcasting and journalism. Starting her career in the glossy pages of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Andie has a broad portfolio, covering everything from sustainability solutions to celebrity car collections. When not at her laptop Andie can be found sewing, recording her podcast, taking board games too seriously or road-tripping in her bright green Kia.
