When Elon Musk is not amused by electric vehicles sporting other badges than Tesla’s, his attention is directed at hydrogen fuel cell cars.
Tesla Motors’ founder was recently asked for an opinion on hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles, and his response was not surprising for those who know how Musk works.
Simply put, the billionaire believes that hydrogen fuel cell technology used for powering cars is “extremely silly.” He made the remarks at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit in January, when a reporter asked him why he was so critical of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
“I don’t want to turn this into a debate, but I think they are extremely silly,” Musk said. “It’s just very difficult to make hydrogen, to store and use it in a car. Hydrogen is an energy-storage mechanism; it is not a source of energy,” he added.
Musk also said fuel cells are half as efficient as batteries, while hydrogen gas is a pernicious molecule and extremely flammable. He said the market will prove his point in coming years.
“It will all become apparent in the next few years. There is no reason for us to have this debate. It will become super obvious as time goes by,” Musk said. You can watch his entire statement on fuel cell cars in the video posted below, starting with the 10:30 minute mark.
Story references: Mining