--- title: "Elon Musk: “We Want to Be a Leader in Apocalypse Technology”" description: "Retired TV host and car nerd Jay Leno got a first-row look at Tesla’s upcoming Cybertruck electric pickup. In the passenger seat next to him was Tesla CEO Elon Musk himself, who gave him a tour of the truck’s features — and the inside of his other company’s tunnel under Los Angeles.  " date: "2020-05-29" modified: "2020-05-29" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-leader-apocalypse-technology" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "cybertruck" - "elon musk" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk: “We Want to Be a Leader in Apocalypse Technology” ![In the latest episode of "Lay Leno's Garage," Tesla CEO Elon Musk told Leno that "we want to be the leader in apocalypse technology."]() *\Image: CNBC\* ## Bulletproof Retired TV host and car nerd Jay Leno got a first row look at Tesla's upcoming Cybertruck electric pickup. In the passenger seat next to him was Tesla CEO Elon Musk himself, who gave him a tour of the truck's features — and later [some tunnels he's dug]() under Los Angeles with the Boring Company, another of his startups. In the TV segment, aired by *CNBC*, Musk boasts to Leno about the car's bulletproof exterior. "When the apocalypse comes, you’ll be glad it's bulletproof," he told Leno. "We want to be the leader in apocalypse technology." https://youtu.be/25ZuKkbHdqM ## Badass and Cool When Leno challenged Musk on why Tesla outfitted the truck with armored glass and 30X cold-rolled stainless steel that can withstand the force of a handgun, Musk had a simple answer: "Because it's badass and it's super cool. Do you want your truck to be bulletproof or not?" Musk also noted that the truck may have to shrink about five percent to fit in a normal garage, and that visibility lines still have to be improved before **entering** production. The first trucks are slated to roll off the line late next year. ## Awkward Timing The segment, a part of the TV show "Jay Leno's Garage," was likely filmed prior to the global pandemic. The [truck]() was first shown off to the public in November of last year. At the time, Musk [had to backpedal]() on the truck's bulletproof-ness on stage after his car company's chief designer Franz von Holzhausen lobbed a hefty metal ball at the truck's window — [accidentally smashing it](). **READ MORE:** [Watch Jay Leno Take Tesla’s Cybertruck through a Boring Company Tunnel]() \[*Car and Driver*\] **More on the Cybertruck:** *[QUAKE IN TERROR AT THIS HEAVILY MILITARIZED CYBERTRUCK]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()