Commentary: Elon Musk and Bill Gates were both wrong on the future of trucks

Channel News Asia ^ | 30 Sep 2025 | David Fickling

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Everything out of China is a lie.

This is a recording.

[redfreedom]

When electric trucks are as have the range, cold weather dependability, have batteries that have a long shelf life, haul heavy loads long distances, do not catch fire and are priced equal to a gas or diesel rig, the maybe.

[Eli Kopter]

Without government subsidies, it won’t work.

[Eli Kopter]

Without government subsidies, it won’t work.

[Secret Agent Man]

The grid is in no shape to handle commercial trucks going electric. Further there aren’t any private plans big enough to handle it either.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

It does not work with government subsidies either.

[redfreedom]

Of course it’s a lie. They just about have the Aussies convinced (according to a thread of a few days ago) that electric is the only way and that the commies sell the best.

[PAR35]

I’ve seen plug in electric delivery trucks from Walmart and Amazon in the neighborhood, but the Walmart one seems to spend most of its time plugged in behind the store.

[HYPOCRACY]

100%. Anybody who has ever driven in China knows their infrastructure outside of major cities is a disaster. In addition these things are just fires waiting to happen.

[Alberta's Child]

I have worked extensively in this field from the infrastructure and regulatory side, and I can say with some degree of authority that we will not see widespread use of electrified Class 8 tractors in North America for at least 50 years.

[butlerweave]

Sales of electrified rigs are booming in China where they build them and say they’re sold then the Chinese Communist Party gives them a bonus ,LOL

[HYPOCRACY]

A truly virtuous circle.

[butlerweave]

When these EV manufacturers go out of business what you bought turns into a Brick

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

The big problem is the weight.

An electric truck weighs 2.5 times what an ICE truck does.

Scale that up to a big rig. Now add in the weight of the cargo.

Now watch your bridges collapse.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

It’s a good thing electricity is magic.

[Alberta's Child]

You've hit on one of three major problems with electrified heavy-duty trucks:

1. The weight of the vehicle.

2. The charging time of the battery.

3. The lack of charging infrastructure to support a national network of long-haul trucking operations.

[Dr. Sivana]

When electric trucks are as have the range, cold weather dependability, have batteries that have a long shelf life, haul heavy loads long distances, do not catch fire and are priced equal to a gas or diesel rig, the maybe.

I wonder how well they do on tires? The consumer models need special (more expensive) tires, and the wear out terrible quickly. Much of the efficiency gains made from the inherent efficiency of an electric motor versus a combustion engine get offset by the motor having to haul around heavy batteries everywhere.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

The charging time of the battery has a solution as does the lack of charging infrastructure.

It would need building but it is a solvable problem if people want it enough. They don't, which is why it is not being built and there are no plans. The flame is just not worth the candle.

The weight problem is just not solvable with our current level of technology and probably will not be for a while.

Even if we reduced the weight by 50% it is still too heavy.

[T.B. Yoits]

The “Cybertruck” isn’t a truck, regardless of what the marketing department insists on calling it.