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Tesla and other EVs will be overtaken by hydrogen cars by 2030, predicts auto expert
An automotive industry expert in Germany recently issued a bold dismissal of electric vehicles, declaring that EVs will be overtaken by hydrogen-powered cars. Before an audience, Dr. Felix Gress, head of Continental’s corporate communications and public affairs, argued that battery-electric vehicles represent poor value for money compared to diesel and petrol alternatives.
While Gress admitted that electric cars today are grabbing headlines and the attention of the automotive industry, the Continental executive predicted that the market would see shift to hydrogen in the next decade or so. “The fuel cell is not ready to kick in yet. By 2030, we’ll see that coming, especially in passenger cars that run long distances, or trucks… Fuel cell is not out of reach, I would say. The question is when it would kick in. We are working on that area, too,” the executive argued.
Gress added that electric cars will have difficulties finding acceptance among car buyers. “For the customers, it will be difficult to accept such a car in the market – you pay a higher price, you get less of a car, so it will be a tough sell,” he said, stating that based on Continental’s estimates, battery technology, and in extension, EVs in general, have their limits. “The battery technology, according to our estimations, has its limits. It doesn’t generate enough range for some people’s needs,” he added.
The Continental executive’s dismissive stance on electric cars run parallel to that of BMW’s director of development, Klaus Frölich, who recently stated that electric vehicles have no demand. During a recent round table interview in Munich, Frölich noted that “there is no customer requests for BEVs.” Responding to Europe’s Transport and Environment lobby group, which is pushing for the adoption of more electric cars, the executive fired back, arguing that BMW could easily flood the market with EVs, but no one will buy them.
“If we have a big offer, a big incentive, we could flood Europe and sell a million cars, but Europeans won’t buy these things. Customers in Europe do not buy EVs. We pressed these cars into the market, and they’re not wanted. We can deliver an electrified vehicle to each person, but they will not buy them,” the executive said.
Unlike Gress from Continental, Frölich instead argued for plug-in hybrids, which use both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. He did note that BMW will still make pure electric cars for the US and China, but the company will concentrate its efforts to bring plug-in hybrids with 80 km (49 miles) of pure electric range. “PHEV gives them full freedom and 80 km of EV range,” he said.
It is quite surprising to see an executive from Continental, the same company that recognized the potential of Tesla as a player in the vehicle software market, completely dismiss electric vehicles as but a prelude to hydrogen propulsion. Hydrogen vehicles, after all, have been around for a while, and for the most part, they have stagnated. The Toyota Mirai, for example, has been around for years, but it has proven to be nowhere near as popular as the Prius, the company’s breakthrough hybrid car.
One thing where both Gress from Continental and Frölich from BMW seem to agree on is that electric vehicle batteries have limitations that could not be overcome. This is a flawed assumption, as batteries have continued to evolve over the years. Tesla, for example, has made significant breakthroughs in battery technology in recent years, as shown in the 2170 cells of the Model 3 Performance, which help the vehicle handle the extreme demands of closed circuit driving. By the end of Gress’ 2030 estimate for hydrogen cars, electric car batteries will most definitely not be the same as they are today.
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Tesla FSD (Supervised) could be approved in the Netherlands next month: Musk
Musk shared the update during a recent interview at Giga Berlin.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared that Full Self-Driving (FSD) could receive regulatory approval in the Netherlands as soon as March 20, potentially marking a major step forward for Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance rollout in Europe.
Musk shared the update during a recent interview at Giga Berlin, noting that the date was provided by local authorities.
“Tesla has the most advanced real-world AI, and hopefully, it will be approved soon in Europe. We’re told by the authorities that March 20th, it’ll be approved in the Netherlands,’ what I was told,” Musk stated.
“Hopefully, that date remains the same. But I think people in Europe are going to be pretty blown away by how good the Tesla car AI is in being able to drive.”
Tesla’s FSD system relies on vision-based neural networks trained on real-world driving data, allowing vehicles to navigate using cameras and AI rather than traditional sensor-heavy solutions.
The performance of FSD Supervised has so far been impressive. As per Tesla’s safety report, Full Self-Driving Supervised has already traveled 8.3 billion miles. So far, vehicles operating with FSD Supervised engaged recorded one major collision every 5,300,676 miles.
In comparison, Teslas driven manually with Active Safety systems recorded one major collision every 2,175,763 miles, while Teslas driven manually without Active Safety recorded one major collision every 855,132 miles. The U.S. average during the same period was one major collision every 660,164 miles.
If approval is granted on March 20, the Netherlands could become the first European market to greenlight Tesla’s latest supervised FSD (Supervised) software under updated regulatory frameworks. Tesla has been working to secure expanded FSD access across Europe, where regulatory standards differ significantly from those in the United States. Approval in the Netherlands would likely serve as a foundation for broader EU adoption, though additional country-level clearances may still be required.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk estimates Tesla Semi could reach Europe next year
“We’ve got the Tesla Semi coming out, the heavy truck, and that’ll be going to Europe hopefully next year,” Musk said.
Tesla is preparing to expand its all-electric Semi truck program to Europe, with CEO Elon Musk indicating that the Class 8 vehicle could arrive in the region 2027.
Musk shared his update during an interview about Giga Berlin with plant manager André Thierig, which was posted on X by the official Tesla Manufacturing account.
“We’ve got the Tesla Semi coming out, the heavy truck, and that’ll be going to Europe hopefully next year,” he said.
Tesla has already begun limited production and customer deployments of the Tesla Semi in the United States, with the company working to scale output through the Semi factory near Giga Nevada. Considering Musk’s comments, it appears that a European rollout would be the next phase of the vehicle’s expansion beyond North America.
Musk’s use of the word “hopefully” leaves room for flexibility, but the remark signals that Europe is next in Tesla’s commercial expansion plans.
Musk has consistently argued that electrification should extend beyond passenger vehicles. During the same interview, he reiterated his view that “all ground transport should be electric,” adding that ships, and eventually aircraft, would follow.
The Semi plays a central role in that strategy. Heavy-duty freight remains one of the most emissions-intensive segments of road transport, and European regulators have increasingly pushed for lower-emission commercial fleets.
Tesla recently refreshed the Semi lineup on its official website, listing two variants: Standard and Long Range. The Standard trim offers up to 325 miles of range with an energy consumption rating of 1.7 kWh per mile, while the Long Range version provides up to 500 miles, which should be more than ample for European routes.
Elon Musk
Tesla Cybercab coming next to Giga Berlin, Optimus possibly after
“From a next major product standpoint, I think most likely is the Tesla Cybercab,” Musk said.
Tesla could add the Cybercab and Optimus humanoid robot to the production lineup at Giga Berlin, as per recent comments from CEO Elon Musk.
During a recent interview with Giga Berlin plant manager André Thierig, Musk identified the Cybercab as the most likely next major product for the German factory, with Optimus potentially following after.
“From a next major product standpoint, I think most likely is the Tesla Cybercab,” Musk said. He added that there are also “possibilities of Tesla Optimus” being produced in the facility.
Tesla has already begun production of the Cybercab in Giga Texas, with volume production expected to ramp this year. Based on Musk’s comments, it appears that if conditions align in Europe, Giga Berlin could eventually join that effort.
The CEO’s comments about Optimus coming to Gigafactory Berlin are quite unsurprising too considering that Musk has mentioned in the past that the humanoid robot will likely be Tesla’s highest volume product in the long run.
Giga Berlin will likely be able to produce mass volumes of Optimus, as the Model S and Model X lines being converted to an Optimus line in the Fremont Factory are already expected to produce 1 million units of the humanoid robot annually.
Apart from his comments about the Cybercab and Optimus, Elon Musk also confirmed that Giga Berlin has started ramping battery cell production and will continue expanding Model Y output, particularly as supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) gains regulatory approvals in Europe.
Taken together, the remarks suggest Berlin’s role could evolve beyond vehicle assembly into a broader multi-product manufacturing hub, not just a regional Model Y plant.
Tesla FSD (Supervised) could be approved in the Netherlands next month: Musk
Elon Musk estimates Tesla Semi could reach Europe next year
