Jamie Lynn Spears blames Tesla for the death of her pet cats, claiming the car’s silent engine led to accidents.
“I know that there’s just bigger things to worry about in the world right now but somebody’s gotta let Elon Musk know that the Tesla is a secret cat killer and it’s a problem that we’ve really got to fix,” the Sweet Magnolias star said of the company CEO in a deleted social media video published by TMZ. “We have now lost — I don’t even want to tell you how many cats — because they don’t hear the Tesla crank and unfortunate things happen and it’s really devastating and tragic for everyone involved.”
Jamie Lynn, who is the younger sister of Britney Spears, explained that the electric car’s hushed feature startled her cats. She didn’t explain exactly what occurred, only that situations have ended badly. “So, since the Tesla is so quiet, maybe he could make one of those noises that bother cat or animal ears when it cranks up, so that way, they know something’s happening and they aren’t caught off guard and things don’t end in a very tragic way,” she said.
Unlike gas-powered cars, electric vehicles don’t make much noise, providing a more tranquil experience for the driver. However, the feature may endanger vision-impaired people who rely on sounds to safely navigate streets. According to the New York Times, new regulations last September require U.S. electric cars to make a sound when moving below 18.6 miles per hour.