Elon Musk Says Bill Gates Knows Nothing About Electric Trucks

Tesla's founder and CEO, Elon Musk, believes that Microsoft's co-founder Bill Gates doesn't know much about electric trucks. Responding to a follower on a tweet about Tesla's incoming Battery Day event, Elon Musk responded to a question about Gates' blog on electric trucks in which the world's second-richest man stated, "will probably never be a practical solution" for heavy, long-haul vehicles, cargo ships and passenger jets." 

Musk replied that Gates "has no clue" about electric trucks. Tesla is about to make a big push in the electric truck segment where it has already announced the semi-truck. The semi-truck is expected to be available in 2021 which is said to have a range of more than 500 miles. 

He has no clue

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 12, 2020

Gates and Musk have been having a digital 'Cold War' of sorts where both the billionaires have been going at each other in one way or the other. Even Gates' blog was conspicuous for not mentioning Tesla even once even though the electric car company has transformed the automotive industry and now is the most valued automotive company on the planet. 

Rivian is one of the Tesla rivals Gates has mentioned

Gates himself concluded, "EVs excel at short-haul travel," which is something that's been proven and popularised by Tesla in the last decade. In his note Gates even mentioned a number of companies. "Legacy companies like GM and Ford and new carmakers like Rivian and Bollinger," he blog stated, however, Tesla's name was missing. 

Gates in the blog post also revealed an investment in a start-up called QuantumScape which is making new solid-state batteries that he is betting will transform the electric vehicle space. QuantumScape also counts Volkswagen as one of its first customers which is a Tesla rival in this space. 

The Tesla semi-truck will be used for long hauls