I think you're right that they're making a dubious comparison. Even if the recycled car is "roadworthy", it's still a one-off made from ad-hoc parts and enormous amounts of expensive volunteer labor.

The larger point they're making, which they clearly didn't emphasize, is that there's tremendous value in re-use. I guess it was too irresistible for a bunch of recycling guys to boast about kicking Tesla's ass on a road test. No harm done.