Viral videos showing Teslas charging via decidedly unclean methods have been debunked as a hoax generated by artificial intelligence.
The Australian Associated Press broke down how it determined the videos to be fake, noting the watermark from the AI-generation platform Sora appearing on some clips and the common glitches, such as a license plate shifting between sections on the rear of a vehicle or a charging port in the wrong place.
The AAP also noted that some of the shared videos lacked obvious watermarks, making the distinction tricky. However, the report highlighted that some of the clips showed diesel generators floating above the moving cars on the road. This physical impossibility points to the false nature of the videos.
One of the posts that kicked off the speculation was shared on Facebook, per the outlet, with the caption: "Tesla Owner Charges on the Highway Using a Diesel Generator — Seriously?!"
Teslas and other electric vehicles do not charge their batteries by driving around with large diesel generators strapped to their roofs, as the AI-generated videos claimed. This ties into the myth that EVs are worse for the environment because of the pollution from power plants caused by charging.
However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stated that even if a coal or gas plant powers a charge, "an EV is typically responsible for lower levels of greenhouse gases than an average new gasoline car."
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EVs produce no tailpipe pollution, meaning when on the road, they don't contribute planet-warming gases that have wide-ranging impacts from poorer air quality to increasing instances of extreme weather events. According to Yale Climate Connections, driving an EV lowers carbon pollution by two-thirds in the United States, and those numbers will continue to improve as power plants switch to cleaner energy.
Overall, EVs and even hybrid options provide cleaner, often more cost-effective transportation options that can reduce environmental impact and help lead to a greener future for all.
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