'We had a very big debate, and I showed him. He was silent. He doesn't know how to make a battery': The founder of the world's biggest battery company apparently had a lesson or two to give Elon Musk

Elon Musk at the EEI 2023 event in Austin, Texas, US, on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. — (Image credit: Bloomberg (Getty Images))

Have you ever had one of those moments where, mid-debate, you suddenly realise you've lost the argument? If you're anything like me, you'll buy your editor another drink and pretend it was a draw. If you're Elon Musk, however, and you're standing in a factory debating the merits of your battery tech with the founder of the biggest EV battery maker in the world, I imagine it's a bit more toe-curling.

Musk appears to have found himself in just such a situation back in April, when he visited Robin Zeng at the CATL facility in Beijing (via Reuters). According to Zeng, he told Musk that his bet on the cylindrical battery found in the Cybertruck, the 4680, "is going to fail and never be successful."

Don't hold back, Zeng, tell us what you really think. Still, there are some compliments dotted in among all that critique. After all, no one's top dog at everything, and it sounds like Mr Zeng here took Elon to task in the way a good mentor might—balancing useful knowledge with direct critique, even if it does come out a little blunt in his own retelling.

Andy built his first gaming PC at the tender age of 12, when IDE cables were a thing and high resolution wasn't—and he hasn't stopped since. Now working as a hardware writer for PC Gamer, Andy spends his time jumping around the world attending product launches and trade shows, all the while reviewing every bit of PC gaming hardware he can get his hands on. You name it, if it's interesting hardware he'll write words about it, with opinions and everything.