Elon Musk Isn’t Happy When Bill Gates Purchased A Porsche Taycan EV

Tech wizard, billionaire, and philanthropist Bill Gates is a known Porsche enthusiast, having been known to own a 911 Turbo, as well as the legendary 959 (over which he helped pass the US’s “Show and Display” law that allowed certain cars to be imported into the country). In a recent interview with YouTube tech content creator Marques Brownlee (aka MKBHD), the Microsoft founder bared he recently purchased his first-ever electric vehicle (EV). Being a Porsche enthusiast, it wasn’t surprising that this would be the Porsche Taycan.

“I just got a Porsche Taycan… and I have to say—I mean, it’s a premium-price car, but it is very, very cool. That’s my first electric car and I’m enjoying it a lot,” Gates said, revealing his own steps in adopting sustainable mobility while at the same time acknowledging consumers’ concern over EVs’ range as an issue. Still, the tech giant called electric-powered passenger cars as “one of the more hopeful” areas when it comes to addressing climate change.

However, Bill Gates’ response during the video interview with MKBHD was enough to capture the attention of Tesla CEO, Elon Musk. The eccentric CEO says “My conversation with gates have been underwhelming tbh,” as a reply to a series of tweets made by Tesletter, an unofficial Tesla newsletter account on Twitter.

Elon Musk’s disappointment towards Bill Gates for purchasing an EV from a competitor seems ironic at this point because back in 2014, he released all of Tesla’s patents in a bid to speed up EV development globally.

Porsche Philippines announced late last year that the Taycan is arriving in the Philippines in early 2020. The flagship of the Taycan range is the Turbo S variant, which can generate up to 750 hp and has a combined power consumption of 26.9 kWh/100 km. With this configuration, the Taycan Turbo S can accelerate from zero to 100 kph in as little as 2.8 seconds and its driving range is rated at up to 412 kilometers in the WLTP cycle.   

The Taycan Turbo can deliver up to 680 hp and has a combined power consumption of 26.0 kWh/100 km. It can sprint from zero to 100 kph in just 3.2 seconds and has a range of up to 450 kilometers. The top speed of the Taycan Turbo S and Taycan Turbo is 260 km/h.

Recently joining the two versions is the Taycan 4S—the model range’s entry-level variant. Available in the Taycan 4S are two battery sizes. The standard Performance battery can put out as much as 530 hp and has a combined power consumption of 24.6 kWh/100 km. The driving range is estimated at 407 kilometers.

Meanwhile, the Taycan 4S’s Performance battery Plus can produce up to 571 hp and has a combined electrical power consumption of 25.6 kWh/100 km. When fully charged, it can travel up to 463 kilometers. Whichever battery system is chosen, the Taycan 4S accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds.