Is a Hydrogen Truck Versus Electric Truck Battle on the Way?

Could "Glickenhaus v Tesla" be the new "Ford v Ferrari"?

Glickenhaus Boot
The Glickenhaus Boot in action.
Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus

In a world where gasoline-powered cars have begun to wane in popularity, there’s still some question over what alternative fuel will end up in the lead. Electric vehicles have, understandably, received a lot of attention, but hydrogen also has its advocates.

As it turns out, there are also a few high-profile naysayers when it comes to hydrogen cells in cars — including Elon Musk, who has repeatedly mocked and disparaged the technology. Most notably, Musk referred to hydrogen cells as “staggeringly dumb” on Twitter earlier this year.

Among those not impressed by Musk’s comments? Jim Glickenhaus, of the auto manufacturer Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus. AutoBlog reports that Glickenhaus recently took to Instagram to challenge Musk — specifically, by suggesting the two automakers go head to head in a race.

Not just any race, either: Glickenhaus cited the Baja 1000 as a venue for the challenge. “We are thinking about offering a Hydrogen version of our Boot and racing it at The Baja 1000 in 2023,” he wrote. “This would be a great time for you to join the race with your Cyber Truck.”

It wouldn’t be a good challenge without a little boasting, and Glickenhaus capably supplies some of that as well. “As we think we can race the entire 1000 miles on one tank of Hydrogen we may not need refueling stations,” he added. “Either way we say Bring it.”

This could make for a highly entertaining race — a kind of Ford v Ferrari for a post-gasoline world. We’ll see if and how Musk responds.

The InsideHook Newsletter.

News, advice and insights for the most interesting person in the room.