And the companies don't spread misinformation? Not saying it's right in either case but companies, Tesla included aren't shining beacons of morality and truthfulness.
Not too along ago I thought of Musk as a misunderstood genius, now I'm pretty certain he knows exactly what he is doing (for the most part). If you look at all the oddities surrounding Tesla, there are clear patterns emerging.
Plainsite has a good summary [1].
True though that those companies survived for too long.
Of course they do, it's in their best interest to lie. To think that companies will only tell the truth "because it's in their best interest" is childish, and not at all historically accurate.