He is for real. He was the main PR guy in the early days, giving rides to prove the vehicle was real, and keeping the deposits coming in.
I thought he was a good spokesperson, and was surprised when they got rid of him.
But, I have to wonder, when I see technical errors, what other kinds of errors could be lurking in that story.
With all of Tesla's success, it makes sense that some would want to capitalize on the interest with some sensasionalistic stories.
I once got a ride in EP2... And nothing broke or went wrong. But it had the 2 speed transmission locked in 2nd gear because of early "teething pains".