Producer and director Emma Schwartz is shining a light on the richest man in the world and his company in Elon Musk’s Crash Course. However, we don’t mean Twitter (if you haven’t heard, the billionaire now owns the social media platform), but instead Tesla, the luxury electric car brand.
Elon Musk’s Crash Course is the latest documentary in The New York Times Presents film series. Previous projects Framing Britney Spears and Controlling Britney Spears were not only informative but were topics of many conversations on social media. It will be interesting to see if this new documentary will gain such buzz on Twitter given the new owner.
Here’s everything we know about Elon Musk’s Crash Course.
When is the Elon Musk’s Crash Course release date?
Elon Musk’s Crash Course premieres on Friday, May 20, at 10 pm ET/PT on both FX and Hulu.
There currently isn’t an official word as to when the film will be released in the UK. However, it looks like the BBC has its own Elon Musk project in the works.
Elon Musk’s Crash Course premise
For a while now, there have been discussions about just the Autopilot technology's safety in Teslas. At the end of 2021, Tesla reported, "one crash for every 4.31 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology." However, as The New York Times alleges in the documentary, over the years, the Autopilot feature has played a role in a number of accidents and deaths that the car company hasn’t publicly acknowledged. Furthermore, the film explores whether or not there was an active attempt to cover up the truth.
The New York Times press page for Elon Musk’s Crash Course describes the premise of the documentary as the following:
"Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, has claimed since 2015 that, for Tesla, technology for self-driving cars is essentially a 'solved problem' and made outlandish claims about Autopilot capabilities. But a New York Times investigation reveals the quixotic nature of Musk’s pursuit of self-driving technology and the tragic results.
"Drawing on first-hand accounts, the film traces how Autopilot has been a factor in several deaths and dozens of other accidents that Tesla has not publicly acknowledged. It details pressure Elon Musk put on government officials to quash investigations and features inside stories from several former Tesla employees, who speak out against Musk for promoting a self-driving program that they believe was perilous.
"Elon Musk made his name and fortune taking bold risks and betting on the impossible, but the story of his pursuit of self-driving has put Musk on a crash course with both the business realities and technology’s limits. Yet, even after years of unfulfilled promises, Elon Musk continues to double down on his Full Self Driving service, once again, with questionable results."
Elon Musk’s Crash Course trailer
Here's an official trailer for Elon Musk’s Crash Course. It looks like the film will be quite informative.
Who is Emma Schwartz?
Serving as producer and director of Elon Musk’s Crash Course is Emma Schwartz. Schwartz may not be a well-known name for many, but her investigative work on PBS’ Frontline has been critically-acclaimed.
How to watch Elon Musk’s Crash Course
Elon Musk’s Crash Course is set to premiere simultaneously on both FX and Hulu. With that said, FX is not only a channel on traditional cable/satellite television, but it is also a part of live streaming platforms such as FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV.
Those that rather watch the documentary on Hulu can do so with a subscription.
No word yet when the documentary will become available in the UK.
