Bill Gates, the world’s second-richest billionaire and co-founder of Microsoft on his blog Gatesnotes wrote that electric vehicle revolution has certainly started and that it could become one of the most important tools to fight climate change. However, his apparent differences with American automaker Tesla Inc’s CEO Elon Musk was once again exposed when he decided to not mention the American EV giant the major EV makers.
Advocating for electric vehicles, Gates wrote, “Switching to electric vehicles and alternative fuels is the most effective way we can move toward zero emissions from the transportation sector.”
Gates also said that when most people think about what contributes to climate change, vehicles are among one of the first things that come to mind. Gates reminded readers that in the United States, transportation is the number one contributor to emissions. “But you might be surprised to learn that it only contributes 16 percent of global emissions. That’s a smaller percentage than how we plug in, grow things, and make things. Still, decarbonizing how we move around is essential if we’re going to get to zero net emissions,” said Gates wrote in his blog.
He went on to say that cheaper vehicle batteries are the way to make electric vehicles more acceptable and mainstream. He wrote, “The batteries that power them have seen an 85 percent price drop since 2010, so they’re getting more affordable to purchase (although they’re still more expensive than gas-based options). Plus, increased competition in the market means there are more choices available to customers than ever before, from compact sedans to sleek sports cars.”
But when he came to mention some of the major electric vehicle manufacturers, at least in the US, Gates did not make mention of Elon Musk’s Tesla among the four he named. “You’ll even be able to buy an all-electric pick-up truck soon thanks to legacy companies like GM and Ford and new carmakers like Rivian and Bollinger,” he wrote.
Gates had criticized Elon Musk some ago saying that he should probably focus on his work and let the coronavirus experts focus on theirs after Musk said that number of deaths from Covid-19 is being overstated and that lockdowns aren’t needed.
Earlier, when Gates bought an electric Porsche Taycan, Elon Musk called him ‘underwhelming’ for selecting Taycan over a Tesla’s model. Musk’s quip came despite Gates praising Tesla for coaxing the auto industry to go electric.
