$Tesla (TSLA.US)$ is all set to commence deliveries of its Semi on Dec. 1, and the first vehicles will be received by beverage giant $PepsiCo (PEP.US)$.
What Happened: Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Saturday invited fellow billionaire Bill Gates to drive the Tesla Semi if he wants. Musk was replying to Tesla influencer @Teslaconomics' tweet that Gates, had in the past, said that the Semi will never happen.
For the unversed, Gates opined in September 2020 that electrification may not be a better option for bigger EVs, as they would require big and bulky batteries to power them. Even with big breakthroughs in battery technology, electric vehicles may never be a practical solution for 18-wheelers, cargo ships and passenger jets, Gates said at the time.
Although the Microsoft founder did not mention Tesla Semis by name, it was construed that he could be referring to EVs, including the Tesla Semi, a heavy-duty EV Class 8 semi-truck. Tesla unveiled two concept vehicles in November 2017.
Musk, at that time, hit back at Gates and tweeted that the billionaire had no clue.
Why It's Important: Musk and Gates have not shared the best relationship and have openly sparred with each other on a host of issues, ranging from their views on the COVID-19 pandemic to climate change.
Then there was this friction between the two over Gates shorting Tesla shares. In a leaked private chat, Musk said he would not work with Gates on climate change as the latter was trying to profit from a fall in the stock of Tesla, which is working on bringing down pollution.
The $Microsoft (MSFT.US)$ founder later noted in a podcast that Tesla isn't short of capital, and the company has done a "fantastic job." He also said the company's cars are great.