# Elon Musk Fired My Wife -  I'm Selling My Tesla

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFLrDaV6nkE
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/QFLrDaV6nkE
Generated: 2025-07-21T15:05:36.373+00:00

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## Quick Overview

The speaker's wife was fired from her dream job at the US Fish & Wildlife Service by Elon Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency," leading the speaker to sell his Tesla Model 3 Performance after seven years and 63,000 miles, during which he spent less than $2,000 on energy and under $600 on non-pothole related maintenance, but experienced significant depreciation, losing 75% of its original value compared to a Subaru Crosstrek's 40% loss over eight years.

**Key Points:**
- The speaker's wife was fired from her dream job at the US Fish & Wildlife Service by Elon Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE).
- The Tesla Model 3 Performance cost less than $2,000 in electricity over 63,000 miles, significantly cheaper than a comparable gas car's $12,600 fuel cost.
- Non-pothole related maintenance for the Tesla Model 3 over seven years and 60,000 miles was under $600.
- The Tesla Model 3 depreciated by 75% of its original MSRP after seven years, while a comparable Subaru Crosstrek retained 60% of its value after eight years.
- The Tesla Model 3 offers exceptional driving dynamics, precise throttle control, effective one-pedal driving, and great brake pedal feel.
- Tesla's automatic windshield wipers are described as "horrendous" and ineffective, even after seven years of software updates.
- Elon Musk's companies have received over $38 billion in taxpayer funding, which is twenty times the entire annual budget of the US Fish & Wildlife Service.

![Screenshot at 0:00: A man sits at a wooden table with a red Tesla Model 3 in the background, with the text "Elon Musk" overlaid.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QFLrDaV6nkE/00-00-00.png)

**Context:** Jason Fenske, known for "Engineering Explained," shares a personal story about his wife's unexpected firing from her dream job at the US Fish & Wildlife Service, which he attributes to Elon Musk's influence during his brief tenure leading the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE). This event prompts Fenske to reflect on his seven-year ownership experience with his Tesla Model 3 Performance, providing a detailed cost breakdown and feature review, while also humorously criticizing Musk's business practices and government funding.

## Detailed Analysis

Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained recounts a personal and professional journey intertwined with his Tesla Model 3 Performance. He begins by dramatically revealing his wife's firing from her dream job at the US Fish & Wildlife Service, attributing it to Elon Musk's leadership of the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE). This event serves as a humorous segue into a comprehensive review of his 2018 Tesla Model 3 Performance after seven years and 63,000 miles. Fenske highlights the car's incredibly low energy costs, under $2,000 for 63,000 miles, compared to over $12,000 for a gas equivalent. Maintenance costs, excluding a $2,668 pothole incident, were under $600, showcasing the EV's low running expenses. However, he points out the significant depreciation of the Model 3, retaining only 25% of its original $67,000 MSRP after seven years, starkly contrasting with his Subaru Crosstrek's 60% retention after eight years. Fenske praises the Model 3's exceptional driving experience, including its throttle control, one-pedal driving, and brake pedal feel, but criticizes the "horrendous" automatic windshield wipers. He then pivots to satirize Elon Musk's "over-promise and under-deliver" strategy using examples like the Cybertruck's delayed production and exaggerated specs, and the unfulfilled promises of the Roadster and Full Self-Driving. The video returns to his wife's story, detailing her extensive academic and professional background in wildlife conservation, emphasizing her qualifications for her USFWS role. He reveals that Musk's cost-cutting initiatives at DOGE led to mass firings, including his wife's, despite a judge later ruling these firings likely illegal. Fenske calculates that Elon's companies have received $38 billion in taxpayer funding, which is twenty times the entire annual budget of the USFWS, highlighting the irony of Musk's "government efficiency" efforts. He concludes by stating he will never own another Tesla as long as Elon Musk is in charge, despite acknowledging the Model 3 as a great car and Tesla's mission to accelerate sustainable energy.

### Personal Introduction & Incident

- Speaker introduces the video's premise, stating Elon Musk caused his wife's firing from US Fish & Wildlife Service, leading to a personal reflection and a review of his Tesla Model 3 Performance.

### Tesla Model 3 Ownership Costs

- Energy costs for 63,000 miles were under $2,000, significantly less than gas cars; non-pothole maintenance was under $600 over seven years; insurance costs were comparable to gas cars, but annual registration was higher due to road taxes.

### Depreciation Analysis

- The Tesla Model 3 Performance retained only 25% of its original $67,000 MSRP after seven years, while a Subaru Crosstrek retained 60% of its $25,000 MSRP after eight years, highlighting a major financial drawback for the Tesla.

### Tesla Model 3 Driving Experience & Features

- Praises exceptional throttle control, one-pedal driving, and brake pedal feel; notes the car's relatively low weight for an EV (4,054 lbs) contributes to good driving dynamics; criticizes the "horrendous" automatic windshield wipers.

### Elon Musk's "Over-Promise & Under-Deliver" Strategy

- Satirizes Musk's tendency to announce ambitious specs and delivery dates (e.g., Cybertruck's 500+ mile range, 14,000 lbs towing, $39,900 starting price, 2021 production) that are later reduced or delayed, extending customer excitement before "inevitable disappointment."

### Wife's Firing & Government Efficiency

- Details his wife's extensive academic and professional background in wildlife conservation; explains her firing from USFWS by "DOGE" (Department of Government Efficiency) under Elon Musk's leadership, despite her qualifications and a pending promotion.

### Government Funding & Irony

- Highlights that Elon Musk's companies have received $38 billion in taxpayer funding, which is 20 times the entire annual budget of the US Fish & Wildlife Service, creating an ironic contrast with his "government efficiency" efforts.

### Conclusion & Personal Stance

- Speaker expresses continued respect for Tesla's mission and engineers but states he will not own another Tesla as long as Elon Musk is in charge, citing the personal impact of his wife's firing and Musk's leadership style.

![Screenshot at 0:20: A grey Toyota GR Corolla drifts in the snow, kicking up powder.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QFLrDaV6nkE/00-00-20.png)
![Screenshot at 0:34: A text message overlay on a snowy landscape reads "I've been fired."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QFLrDaV6nkE/00-00-34.png)
![Screenshot at 0:44: A red Tesla Model 3 is shown in a garage, lifted with its wheels removed, indicating maintenance.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QFLrDaV6nkE/00-00-44.png)
![Screenshot at 0:50: Text overlay "U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service" appears next to the speaker.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QFLrDaV6nkE/00-00-50.png)
![Screenshot at 2:40: A red Tesla Model 3 drives on a highway with a text overlay showing "63,000 MILES" and "18,400 kWh" for energy consumption.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QFLrDaV6nkE/00-02-40.png)
![Screenshot at 3:15: A blurred red Tesla Model 3 in a garage with a detailed list of maintenance costs overlaid, totaling $3,262.10 including pothole damage.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QFLrDaV6nkE/00-03-15.png)
![Screenshot at 3:57: A garage interior with multiple stacks of tires and wheels, indicating the speaker's "tire obsession."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QFLrDaV6nkE/00-03-57.png)
![Screenshot at 4:57: A blurred image of the speaker with a text overlay quoting Elon Musk: "If you buy a Tesla today, I believe you're buying an appreciating asset, not a depreciating asset."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QFLrDaV6nkE/00-04-57.png)
![Screenshot at 5:35: A red Tesla Model 3 on a winding road with text overlay showing "Remaining Value: 60% after 8 years - Subaru Crosstrek \| 25% after 7 years - Tesla Model 3 Perf."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QFLrDaV6nkE/00-05-35.png)
![Screenshot at 10:18: A Tesla screen showing "Battery Health Test" results: "85% Your Battery is Healthy."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/QFLrDaV6nkE/00-10-18.png)