As we’ve learned on several occasions in the past, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk is the kind of guy who’s certainly not afraid to speak his mind. Well, he did it again, this time in Germany, while he was speaking about the Supercharger network that will be installed in the country by the end of 2014.
Musk’s latest rant, however, is not about any of Tesla’s competitors or the large number of gas-guzzlers still polluting the air. The South Africa-born inventor had something to say about hydrogen fuel cell technology, calling it “bullsh*t” and a “marketing think”, and claiming it’s more suitable for rockets rather than automobiles.
“Oh God, fuel cell is so bullsh*t. The only reason they do fuel cells is... it's like a marketing thing. [...] Putting up a huge hydrogen distribution center is also difficult, and hydrogen is quite a dangerous gas. It's suitable for the upper stage of rockets, but not for cars,” Musk said during a speech at a Tesla service center in Germany.
Does he have a point? We’d say yes and no. Sure, electric cars are doing much better now and, while hydrogen technology it’s still under development, with production cars not yet available to the general public. But unlike fuel cell vehicles, EVs have been around for quite a while now - a whole century actually.
Of course, this calls for a well documented debate, because there are several sides of the electric vs. hydrogen war, but we wouldn’t mind reading your opinions on this one in the comment box below.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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