Tripp also claimed that hundreds of Model 3 vehicles were built with punctured batteries—a fact he said compelled him to speak out. (Tesla told the Post it wouldn't ship cars with safety concerns). He didn't want to hurt the company, he said, but was uncomfortable with Tesla's unsustainable practices. "I wanted to leave the world better for my son," he said. "And I felt I was doing everything but that." He said he's now seeking official protections as a whistleblower, and an attorney. "I don't have the patience for coding," he said, denying claims that he hacked into Tesla's computers. And though Tesla lawyers had said he was disgruntled about not receiving a promotion, Tripp said that wasn't the case. "That's their generic excuse," he said. "I could literally care less."