Stephen Colbert’s connection to Tesla is a mix of a dated on-air claim that he drove one and years of Tesla-related interviews, clips, and jokes on his shows. That makes “biggest celebrity Tesla fan” a playful description—not a proven ranking. The available sources do not identify his Tesla model or establish whether he still drives one.
Did Stephen Colbert say he drives a Tesla?
Yes. In March 2022, a RealClearPolitics video page attributed the line “I’ll Pay $15 A Gallon Because I Drive A Tesla” to Colbert during remarks about high gas prices. It is evidence of a public statement at that time, not verification of his current ownership, purchase history, or the car’s model. The wording appears as the page’s title, so it should not be treated as a complete verbatim transcript.
Why the Tesla-fan impression took hold
Colbert interviewed Elon Musk more than once
On July 24, 2014, Colbert interviewed Musk on The Colbert Report. Apple TV’s episode listing identifies Musk as CEO of SpaceX and Tesla Motors at the time.
Musk returned on the September 9, 2015 episode of The Late Show, Colbert’s second episode as host. The Los Angeles Times reported that Colbert asked, “Are you sincerely trying to save the world?” Musk replied, “I’m trying to do good things, yeah.” Colbert then framed the entrepreneur as “a superhero or a supervillain” and showed a Tesla robotic charging prototype.
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Those exchanges put Tesla in the conversation, but they were interviews and comedy—not evidence of a commercial endorsement or unqualified admiration.
The show featured Tesla technology
In October 2015, The Late Show featured a Jalopnik video demonstrating the Tesla Model S Autopilot feature. That establishes that the show aired a segment about a Model S; it does not establish that Colbert owned or drove that model.
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Colbert turned Musk’s stunts into comedy
When Musk sent a Tesla Roadster into space aboard a Falcon Heavy test flight, Colbert joked about the stunt in his February 2018 monologue. TIME quoted him saying, “We get it, Musk, you’re King Nerd. I relinquish my crown,” after describing the car and its dummy astronaut. Colbert also joked that the stunt earned Musk “Most Midlife Crisis.” The Roadster was part of Musk’s launch stunt, not evidence about Colbert’s own car.
The episode helps explain the fan-like impression: Tesla appeared repeatedly in Colbert’s orbit, but often as the subject of a joke. TIME’s coverage of the monologue captures that comic tone.
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What is known—and what is not
- Known: Colbert publicly said in 2022 that he drove a Tesla, according to the RealClearPolitics page.
- Not established: Whether he drives one now, the model or year, or when he bought it.
- Not established: That he is the “biggest” celebrity Tesla fan. The cited coverage does not compare him with other celebrity owners or measure enthusiasm.
- Not established: An endorsement deal or formal relationship with Tesla.
The comparison in the headline works as an entertainment hook, not as a measurable title. The record supports a narrower conclusion: Colbert has had a recurring public connection to Tesla through Musk interviews, technology coverage, jokes, and his 2022 statement.
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