From what I got out of Bill's talking about it is that he thinks the government should back the research into better electric cars. His thoughts are that the less we depend on OPEC for oil the better. He looks at it as the National Defense type issue.
National defense is kicking the holy dog shit out of people who attack us. You don't do that in electric cars. When Tesla decides to get serious and quit catering to people who only drive about 5000 miles a year anyway, they'll make an affordable electric car. By and by, the others will catch up or other competitors will emerge. Anyone who thinks modes of transportation changed overnight when the car was introduced should read some history...there were still piles of horseshit on the streets of some small towns as late as the 30's.
There will be a glut of fossil fuels as a result, which will eventually cheapen the production of electric power. Ironically, this will challenge alternative energy sources even more, unless the cost of generating solar power continues to decrease.
There is also the possibility, if not the likelihood, that Western economies will be based on alternative fuel sources, while others will be based on fossil fuels.
Notice how in almost any scenario, everyone gets richer. Wealth is not zero-sum, as the stupid moron DUmmies believe.
