There’s no need to introduce Elon Musk much. Here I will just mention one thing: this tall, handsome and rich man is not the prototype of Iron Man Tony Stark. The only similarity is that both are tall, handsome and rich, and have made a name for themselves in high-tech fields. That's why the media likes to compare them, and after a long time, a misunderstanding occurred - calling him the prototype of Iron Man. Although he is not the prototype character of Iron Man, his straightforward and quick-witted personality is quite consistent.
Although Space X's plans are improving step by step, Musk obviously still regards Tesla electric vehicles as the current work focus. Currently, he travels around the world as the CEO of Tesla to promote the advantages of electric vehicles over fuel vehicles.
Of course, it is undeniable to criticize some fuel vehicles at present. Whether from the height of environmental protection or the efficiency of energy, Tesla has capital to publicize its own advantages. However, during a speech in Germany not long ago, this leading figure of electric vehicles directed his criticism towards another type of car—hydrogen fuel cell cars.
In front of a packed audience in Munich, Musk said:
"Fuel cells are a bunch of crap."
The background of him saying this sentence is to explain that electric vehicles must take on the responsibility of leading alternative solutions for automobile energy. In this field, the 18650-type cobalt acid lithium battery used by Tesla is the orthodox one. Musk believes:
"The only reason manufacturers make fuel cells now is because of their marketing value. But in reality, they can't even reach the level of current lithium-ion batteries, so fuel cells cannot become a feasible technology."
Musk not only talks about Tesla's lithium-ion batteries, but also cites his experience in the Space X project to prove that the application of fuel cell technology in cars is impractical. He thinks that installing a huge hydrogen fuel structure is very difficult, especially since hydrogen is such an unsafe gas. Suitable places for hydrogen fuel are rockets, not cars.
Mentioning safety issues, Tesla had its first fire incident earlier this month. Although it was caused by metal debris hitting the battery after a car accident, generating a great impact force that pierced through the protective plate, rather than spontaneous combustion, this accident is enough to make us realize the safety issues of electric vehicles. Moreover, the safety coefficient of the 18650-type cobalt acid lithium battery used by Tesla has also been debated. At present, most electric vehicles, such as Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf, BYD E6, and Fisker Karma, use mainstream phosphate iron lithium batteries with higher safety coefficients. Even so, Chevrolet Volt has caught fire, and Fisker Karma has experienced spontaneous combustion.
Musk also revealed some of Tesla's plans for next year. In 2014, Tesla will upgrade the browser on the car dashboard to Chrome. Musk even considered installing an Android emulator on the 17-inch touch screen dashboard of the Tesla Model S to run Android applications.
Reviewing Tesla's progress this year, its influence and market development speed cannot be described as anything less than fast, especially in China. Traditional media has started to gradually pay attention to this avant-garde Silicon Valley company, and the public is slowly becoming aware of the luxury car Tesla Model S. Not long ago, a young boss from Zhejiang indirectly purchased the first Tesla Model S in mainland China from Hong Kong, which attracted widespread attention. With his ultra-high popularity and strength, Musk has become one of the top idols in Silicon Valley, and every word and action of his is closely watched.
This attack on fuel cells and fuel cell vehicles is unknown what kind of impact it will have on this industry. The future path of electric vehicles also deserves serious thought.