Elon Musk Proved Bill Gates Wrong On Tesla Semi — Now He Has Predictions For Electric Cargo Ships, Aircraft

Tesla Inc. TSLA commenced deliveries of its electrified Semi truck last week, about five years since it was first announced.

What Happened: The newest product from Tesla’s stable beat all odds and proved skeptics wrong. Microsoft founder Bill Gates was among those who doubted the viability of having electrified versions of 18-wheelers, cargo ships and passenger jets.

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When a Tesla influencer shared a screenshot of Gates’ statement with the caption “aged like milk,” Elon Musk chimed in.

With one frontier conquered, the Tesla CEO weighed in on the viability of the other options Gates had discussed as not feasible.

Electric cargo ships and short- to medium-range electric aircraft are straightforward, Musk said. He, however, opined that long-range aircraft beyond 1,500 miles will take a few more years for becoming a reality.

Electric cargo ships are straightforward, as are short to medium range electric aircraft. Long-range aircraft (beyond ~1500 mile) will take a few more years.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 5, 2022

Why it's Important: When Gates had said in the past that the Semi will never happen, his logic was that big vehicles would need bulkier batteries, which will make them commercially unviable.

“Electricity works when you need to cover short distances, but we need a different solution for heavy, long-haul vehicles,” Gates said in a 2020 blog post.

Photo: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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