--- title: "Elon Musk Shreds Bill Gates For Insulting Electric Semi Trucks" description: "Tesla CEO Elon Musk didn't mince words in response to a blog post criticizing electric long-haul trucking penned by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates." date: "2020-09-14" modified: "2020-09-14" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/bill-gates-insulting-electric-semi-trucks-elon-musk" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "Bill Gates" - "Electric truck" - "electric trucks" - "elon musk" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk Shreds Bill Gates For Insulting Electric Semi Trucks ![Tesla CEO Elon Musk didn't mince words in response to a blog post criticizing electric long-haul trucking penned by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.]() *\Image: KEN SHIPP/DOE/NORAD/USNORTHCOM/VICTOR TANGERMANN\* ## No Clue Two of the richest men in the world are fighting again. Tesla CEO Elon Musk didn't mince words in response to a blog post criticizing electric long-haul trucking penned by Microsoft co-founder — and fellow multibillionaire — Bill Gates. "He has no clue," [Musk responded]() to a Twitter user asking him on his opinion on the blog post. ## Big and Heavy In [his post](), Gates argued that "the problem is that batteries are big and heavy. The more weight you’re trying to move, the more batteries you need to power the vehicle." That means "even with big breakthroughs in battery technology, electric vehicles will probably never be a practical solution for things like 18-wheelers, cargo ships, and passenger jets." In short, "electricity works when you need to cover short distances, but we need a different solution for heavy, long-haul vehicles," Gates concluded. That's certainly not Musk's line of thinking. Tesla has big plans for electrifying the long-haul trucker market with its own Semi, [first unveiled]() back in 2017. ## Underwhelming Adding fuel to the fire — [sorry ]()— was the omission of Tesla in the list of automakers Gates gave credit to for the development of all-electric pickup trucks. Gates named [Rivian]() and Bollinger instead, two Tesla competitors in the space. The [Cybertruck]()? Gates never even mentioned it. It's not the first time the two have faced off. The row comes after [Musk claimed]() his "conversations with Gates have been underwhelming \[to be honest\]," back in February. At the time, Gates was willing to acknowledge Tesla's achievements. "Certainly Tesla, if you had to name one company that helped drive that, it's them," the philanthropist [told YouTuber Marques Brownlee]() in a February interview. Gates, however, [went with a Porsche Taycan]() instead. **READ MORE:** [Elon Musk shares his thoughts on Bill Gates. They're not pleasant]() \[*CNN*\] ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()