Jay Leno said he believes the genius of Tesla CEO Elon Musk is that “he was building the infrastructure while building the vehicle.”
“Even today, many of the major manufacturers build an electric car, but, oh, where do you charge it?” Leno told “The News with Shepard Smith” during a Friday night interview. “Elon was smart, when he started, he knew this idea would work, so he built charging stations.”
Tesla, the electric car maker, will be the newest member of the S&P 500 on Monday with the total weight of floating-adjusted market capitalization.
2020 has been a monster year for Tesla, the sixth largest company in the world: its shares are up around 700% this year. CNBC’s “Jay Leno’s Garage” host said he was confident Tesla would be able to maintain its dominance in electric vehicles and added that he has seen Europe’s electric cars fall short.
“They don’t have the scope of the Tesla,” Leno said. “They don’t, because Tesla leads the field. It seems we have this inferiority complex that somehow things in Europe are better than those built here.”
Leno gave host Shepard Smith examples of superior American innovation, including General Motors ’Corvette, which he said rivals Lamborghini and Ferrari and only has $ 60,000.
Highlighting U.S. dominance in private industry, he noted Musk’s success in the space industry.
“The fact that Elon can send a rocket into space and land it back on Earth, why, a tenth of the US government price?” Leno said. “Well, that’s what private industry is supposed to do: cheaper, faster, and more efficient.”
Leno suggested that those who want to hear the “rumble of a car downstairs” should “buy another car.” He acknowledged that he loves Ferraris, Ford Cobra and Lamborghinis over the weekend, but that they are not practical for sitting in traffic and driving locally.
“If you’re in a quiet electric vehicle, it doesn’t pollute and save,” Leno said. “When I want to have fun, I’ll take out my 1960 Triumph TR3 and pump everything, but when it comes to everyday vehicles, it can’t be beat. [the Tesla]. “