Elon Musk accuses Bill Gates of having 'no clue' about batteries

The outspoken Tesla titan was responding to the Microsoft founder's recent comments on electric trucks

Elon Musk isn't renowned for his restraint on social media and now Bill Gates is in his cross hairs. AFP

Elon Musk has said that Bill Gates “has no clue” about batteries as he gears up for Tesla's much anticipated “Battery Day”.

The Big Tech magnate was asked about Mr Gates’ August blog post in a Twitter Q&A designed to drum up publicity for Tesla's delayed celebration of the mighty cell on September 22.

Battery power “will probably never be a practical solution” for heavy, long-haul vehicles, cargo ships and passenger jets, the Microsoft founder wrote.

Mr Musk's tweeted response was characteristically trenchant.

Mr Musk may have been working through some frustration after his company's shares tanked $16.3 billion (Dh60bn) on Tuesday, the largest single-day wipeout in the history of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Tesla has said its Semi truck model, which was first unveiled in 2017, is expecting first deliveries beginning 2021. The electric carmaker has been investing heavily in the model that boasts 500 miles of range.

Mr Gates believes that future long-haul travels will be more likely powered by alternative fuels such as biofuels and electrofuels, because batteries are too big and heavy for long distances. He didn’t refer to electric trucks specifically.

The Microsoft founder did acknowledge that “EVs excel at short-haul travel”, praising the sector for making lots of progress with increased competition and greater affordability.

Gates is the world's second-richest person, while Musk is fourth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.