Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak: 'Now, I don't believe anything Elon Musk or Tesla says'

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who once said there is "way too much hype" surrounding Tesla, has once again voiced fresh criticism of the electric-vehicle maker owned by tech multi-billionaire Elon Musk. Speaking at the Nordic Business Forum in Stockholm, Sweden, Wozniak said he is a fan of Tesla's sedans but is wary of the promises the company and its CEO make.

Wozniak, who currently owns two Model S sedans, said he has been a Tesla fan from the beginning but recalled one incident in which their first Tesla skidded off an icy road and into a snow bank at Lake Tahoe.

"Our first Tesla slid off some ice, late at night up at Lake Tahoe, and we ended up in a snow bank," Woz said during a Q&A session, Business Insider reported. "There was no damage, but it was clear we needed a four-wheel drive Tesla."

Wozniak and his wife then upgraded their model when Tesla introduced its much-discussed "function" that allows car owners to call for their self-driving vehicles on command.

"They came up with some sensors that Elon Musk said would drive itself across itself the country, by the end of 2016," he said. However, Tesla's much-publicised breakup with Israeli sensor maker Mobileye took place and the timeline for Tesla's cross-country demonstration trip and promise was pushed back multiple times since then.

"I believed that stuff," Wozniak said. "Now, I don't believe anything Elon Musk or Tesla says. But I still love the car. I'm sure the next car will come out and Elon's promise will be that [this is the car that delivers]."

The 67-year-old also expressed concerns about Tesla's current self-driving technology saying longtime automakers Audi and BMW are far ahead of Tesla in the race towards autonomous cars.

"When a Tesla runs in any condition on a highway that is a little unusual — a cone in the middle of a lane — you have to move over," Wozniak said. "A dumb human or a smart human can easily do it, but the Tesla can't. Man, you've got to be on your toes all the time with it."

Wozniak also accused the ambitious Tesla of shifting blame elsewhere rather than taking on the responsibility.

"All Tesla says is, 'it's beta, so we're not responsible. [As a driver] you have to be in control'. So that's kind of a cheap way out of it," he said. "Everything I've read told me that every other car manufacturer in the world - Audi and BMW - are actually ahead of Tesla for self-driving cars."

He noted that they usually drive the Chevy Bolt EV rather than the Tesla everyday except for longer road trips to places like Kansas or Yellowstone.

Wozniak worked alongside the late Steve Jobs to develop the first Apple computers until February 1985 when he left his position as president of research and development. The debut of the iconic iPhone came much later in 2007.

He also questioned whether customers can believe Musk and compared his "salesmanship" to that of Jobs.

"I love that car but the trouble is, Elon Musk is portrayed in a lot of movies with a lack of faith and trust," he said. "What he says, can you really believe in him? Is he just a good salesman like Jobs and may not be there [in the end]?"

Musk has yet to respond to Wozniak's remarks.

The former Apple executive's comments come just days after Musk's Boring Company began selling branded flamethrowers for $500 each. The firm has since sold over $5m worth of flamethrowers with Musk confirming on Twitter that they have crossed the 10,000-unit milestone.