Gary Zhou 
Tesla’s groundbreaking influence in the electric vehicle sector has been recognized by Volkswagen AG CEO Herbert Diess and Ford CEO Jim Farley, who both recognized the automaker and CEO Elon Musk’s efforts as the benchmark for the sector.
It is no secret Tesla and Musk have been instrumental in the development of electric vehicles, but when competitors recognize the influence that the electric car company and its frontman have had, it’s almost like an extra feather in the cap. Diess, who has been a fan and friend of Musk for several years, recognized Tesla’s influence during an interview and in a post on LinkedIn.
Diess said about Musk (via CNBC):
“I very much appreciate it that he showed up. I think we had a nice dialogue. And we have to accept that Tesla sets the new benchmarks [on] the EV side. Not only technology wise, but also when it comes to productivity, speed…I think it’s always good to have competition.”
Diess also ackowledged in the LinkedIn posting that Musk and Tesla’s positive view of VW’s electrification efforts are nice to hear. ” Happy to hear that even our strongest competitor thinks that we will succeed the transition if we drive the transformation with full power. One example for the speed of Tesla: They handle the chip shortage very well – the reason: they are developing their own software. Within just 2-3 weeks they had a new software which allows to use different chips. Impressive,” Diess wrote.
Additionally, Ford CEO Jim Farley thanked Musk and Tesla for leading the way and pioneering the EV movement, which Ford has adopted this year.
As previously mentioned, it is really undeniable that Tesla is leading the charge. Without the company or Musk, EVs would not be where they are today, and it is likely that many competing car companies would not be even considering transitioning to electrification. Despite the competitive nature of the automotive industry and the loyal fans and drivers of a company’s products, the executives of different car companies reaching out to Musk and Tesla to thank them for their progress is refreshing to see.
