Tesla Electric Vehicle Company President Elon Musk said Microsoft's billionaire founder Bill Gates "has no idea" about electric trucks, in response to a follow-up question in his blog last week that Gates questioned the ability of electric batteries to move large trucks.
The statement from Tesla's founder comes nearly a week before the long-awaited "Battery Day," in which Musk promised to unveil many surprises and breakthroughs in the field of electric batteries.
Musk responded to a question about Gates' "statements" about electric trucks through a blog published in August in which the Microsoft founder shared his thoughts on the future of mobility.
While Gates suggested the world to use clean electricity to power the largest number of vehicles possible, he expressed reservations about its ability to move heavy vehicles over long distances, as well as cargo ships and passenger aircraft, as he said that electricity "will not be a practical solution at all."
Gates believes that long journeys in the future will likely be supported by alternative fuels, such as biofuels and electric fuels, because the batteries will be large and heavy and will not be able to travel long distances.
He acknowledged that "electric vehicles excel in short-distance travel," and that this sector has made a lot of progress with increased competition and affordability, and praised many companies that will soon launch fully electric pickup trucks for consumers, led by well-known companies such as G GM, Ford, and new car makers such as Rivian and Bollinger.
Gates did not name Tesla, the manufacturer of the Cyber-Turk electric truck.
The Gates is the second-richest person in the world, while Musk ranks fourth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
The EV founder's fortune has risen after Tesla's shares have more than quadrupled this year.
Relations between the wealthy have been marred by many tensions on the Internet, as Musk previously criticized Gates for buying an electric car from a competing company, while Gates called on Musk to pay attention to his private affairs in response to Elon Musk's erroneous statements that downplayed the Corona epidemic at the beginning of the pandemic.