Tesla executive Rohan Patel joined CEO Elon Musk in criticizing government incentives for hydrogen utilization, branding it an ‘illogical government addiction.’
Patel expressed skepticism about the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of hydrogen, dismissing it as an investment driven by industry lobbying.
Patel, echoing Musk’s sentiments, deemed investments in hydrogen an embarrassment and highlighted the lack of usefulness from both efficiency and cost perspectives. Despite sympathies for regions like Japan, Korea, and California investing in hydrogen infrastructure, Patel asserted that the evidence over the years indicates that it’s not a viable solution.
The U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy reported unprecedented investments in clean hydrogen production in 2023, with $4.9 billion in loan guarantee requests for six hydrogen-related projects submitted to the DOE Loan Programs Office.
Elon Musk has been a vocal critic of hydrogen as a fuel source, consistently expressing skepticism about its efficiency. Musk, in May 2022, declared a global preference for batteries over hydrogen for energy storage, deeming hydrogen storage as “the most dumb thing I could possibly imagine.”
He ridiculed government funding for hydrogen transport infrastructure in California, emphasizing the lack of sense in such initiatives.
While Musk and Patel dismiss hydrogen, proponents like Nikola Corp argue that hydrogen is a valuable energy source due to its global abundance. Advocates highlight its clean combustion, producing only water as a waste product, and its high energy density when compressed into a fuel cell.
