It is all a matter of priorities. Without getting into a political discussion, it is clear that incredible steps in EV technology or any technology (like curing disease) could be made if we focused on them. We put a solar powered EV vehicle on the planet Mars years ago. It was recharged by a solar panel developed by NASA and some private company that was far ahead in efficiency of panels that are sold today or available to consumers.
Stealth bombers, rockets that can leave the earth and land on other planets and drop off a vehicle and make it run for years on sun power. All payed for by the government without much discussion or doubt that it was possible. The list of achievements and choices goes on and on. All kinds of incredible things that we are capable of.
A battery that can make a car or motorcycle run for 500 miles? A piece of cake if we really wanted it and said that it was a priority just like military items or rockets to distant planets.
There was an article the other day in the Los Angeles Times about a rocket that was being built by a contractor for NASA that cost half-a-billion dollars. But NASA decided that before the rocket was being built that they were no longer going to use that type of propulsion, but they were going to go ahead with the contract and have it built anyway and then scrap it. So we have all of these incredibly talented people and scientist working on a project for no reason and we spend 500 million dollars on it.
How about taking these smart people or the equivalent at some other company and give them the same 500 million dollars and develop the best battery technology that the world has ever seen. Then license that to companies to make the batteries. Everybody wins with something very tangible.
