Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
Answering to a social media post regarding the open letter signed earlier today by 120 experts against the usage of hydrogen-powered cars in the Paris Olympics, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said hydrogen is “silly for cars” while admitting it can be “barely sensible” for rockets.
On X, Musk wrote, “Hydrogen is silly for cars and only barely sensible for rockets, where payload is ~1000 times more valuable”.
This was not the first time that the chief executive of the world’s largest EV maker devalued the technology. Last November, Musk had said that “Hydrogen in cars make zero sense. Its best case use is rockets and, even then, it loses to methane imo”.
Without mentioning any hydrogen truck manufacturer, about one year ago, he criticized the incentives from the government
“Bizarrely, government funding is still being directed to hydrogen trucks. It is idiotic,” he stated in August 2023.
The letter issued earlier today criticizes the promotion of hydrogen vehicles by Toyota at the upcoming Paris Olympics, arguing that such vehicles hinder the transition to green energy.
The signatories, including Professor David Cebon, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight, contend that green hydrogen-powered vehicles require three times more electricity than battery electric vehicles (BEVs) for equivalent usage. They assert that promoting hydrogen vehicles misleads the public about effective solutions for decarbonizing transport.
The letter urges the Olympic Committee to replace Toyota’s hydrogen Mirai with BEVs for the Paris 2024 Games, citing the broader industry and academic consensus that electrification is the most effective way to decarbonize the transport sector.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
