Musk: By 2030, The Only Cars Sold In America Will Be Electric Cars

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Even the most ardent EV proponents, like Nissan, think that by 2020, the market share of electric cars will be 10 percent.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has some better predictions, brought to us by Reve:

  • By 2030 the only cars sold in America will be electric cars.
  • By 2020, it will be dirt cheap to have long range vehicle lithium ion batteries packs.
  • By mid-century the vast majority of cars on the roads will be electric .

(Well duh, if only electric cars will be sold by 2030…)

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • TrailerTrash TrailerTrash on Jan 23, 2011

    Has ANY future prediction EVER come true? Other than there will be wars, or similar stupid no brainers, what has actually come through? Hello...remember 1984? Would you trust this idiot with your future? Not me, anymore than I can sing Lennon's Give Peace A Chance without stopping halfway through it and saying...Wait, What? I wish he would tell us exactly where the electricity will come from. This summer my electric bill in MO was over $576.00 for one month.

  • AJ AJ on Jan 23, 2011

    Good, more gas for my Jeep. :)

  • .5MT .5MT on Jan 23, 2011

    Titan II?

  • Mwilbert Mwilbert on Jan 23, 2011

    First, it is really safe to make predictions about 2030, because no one will remember what you said. No prediction about cars that far ahead is reliable, as that is a long enough time for what happens to be significantly affected by technology developed between now and then, and I doubt EVERY car sold in the US will be electric, but I would bet most of them will be unless there is a breakthrough in creating liquid fuels from things other than petroleum, because if there isn't, those fuels are going to be pretty expensive, and batteries will almost certainly be a lot cheaper and higher performance than they are now.

    • PeregrineFalcon PeregrineFalcon on Jan 24, 2011

      "First, it is really safe to make predictions about 2030, because no one will remember what you said." I was going to say that it was stupid to make predictions that soon into the future. In twenty years, odds are this guy will still be alive, and thanks to the Internet recording everything ever posted onto it, ever, we'll be able to drag this gem up and club him over the head with it. If you're going to make stupid predictions, go far enough into the future that you won't be around to get mocked about it. Good prediction: "Humanity will colonize another planet by 2150." Bad prediction: "The world will end on December 21, 2012." Yes, I am looking forward to mocking people on the 22nd. That, and buying a metric ton of really, really cheap camping and outdoor gear.

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