Elon Musk and Jay Leno meet once again in an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, which aired on Wednesday night. For those who have or have not watched it, here is a recap on what happened.
In the beginning of the episode, Jay Leno meets Elon Musk at Hawthorne California, Tesla’s Headquarters. After Elon arrives in a red Tesla Semi, Jay Leno asks him how he would convince drivers that the Semi is better than what they already have. Elon explains that the Semi is way cheaper to operate and that if you are going cross country, the cost per mile is fundamental. Elon also adds that the cost of electricity will be less than half of the cost of diesel. Tesla estimates a saving of $200,000 in fuel costs over 1 million miles. Another reason Elon gives is that the Semi is fun to drive and that it has the acceleration of a sports car. The Tesla Semi, hauling 80,000 pounds, can go 0-60 mph in 20 seconds, while a standard diesel truck needs a full minute.
Jay Leno then moves on from the Semi to his Tesla collection. In a brief summary, the Model S is still the highest selling luxury car and still has the fastest 0-60 mph of any car in America, the Model 3 has the highest satisfaction ratings in consumer reports of any car, the Model X with the awesome Falcon Wing doors, the Model Y, which Tesla has started shipping out despite what Elon Musk said in the episode (due to the episode airing date), is the SUV version of the Model 3, and the Tesla Roadster.
In true Elon Musk fashion, he tells Jay Leno that you can have the option of putting a rocket thruster, from SpaceX, on the back of the Tesla Roadster. Like the rest of us, Jay Leno exclaims, “See, I don’t know when you are kidding or when you’re not.” Elon responds: “No, in this case I am serious”. Leno asks how that is going to work, so Elon explains that the thrusters will run on ultra-high pressure compressed air and that the thruster will be behind the license plate and it will drop down when the thruster is being used and will go 0-60 in 1.9 seconds. This might be the closest to a Bat-Mobile we have seen yet.
They then bring out the Cybertruck. Jay Leno points out that truck buyers are very conservative in what they like and that this does not look anything like a pick up truck. Senior Design Executive, Franz Von Holzhausen, explains that he thinks there is a preconceived notion of what a pickup truck should look like and that if they wanted to make something bold then they would have to break that norm. The Vault that covers the bed of the truck can roll open and close with the touch of a button. Leno asks how strong it is, Holshausen says that you can walk on it. That is when Elon climbs on the truck and stands up on the Vault.
They then take a drive in the Cybertruck, Jay Leno points out that it is not different from driving any other Tesla. The Cybertruck can go 0-60 mph in less than 2.9 seconds with 500+ miles of range and the truck is available in a single, double, and tri-motor. Elon explained that there will be changes made, but since then he has decided not to change the design. So what you see is what you’re getting. The glass is Tesla armored glass constructed with 30X cold-rolled stainless steel and the door panels of the car are a 300 Series stainless steel, making the doors bullet proof.
They drive to the SpaceX headquarters, which is where the Boring Company Tunnel starts. The tunnel is a mile and a half long. Elon then suggests that they could take the Cybertruck into the tunnel. Surprising, the truck was able to fit. The tunnel height is 14 ft and averages between 50 – 60 ft underground. Normally, a Tesla would be on Autopilot while driving through the tunnel. When the both of them reached the end of the tunnel, the Cybertruck had to fit in the elevator which would bring them up to the surface. The Cybertruck barely fit on the platform due to how big it is but the truck was able to make it to the top and back on the road.
The episode was fascinating to watch, from the composition of the Tesla Semi to Jay driving the Cybertruck into the tunnel. I am excited to see the Semi and the Cybertruck on the road.
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