Thanks, a quite relevant piece on the state of the automotive art. I bought an EV in '89 and belonged to the Electric Auto Association which financed the first hybrid prototype at Stanford in the early 90s.
1) People don't realize that until all electricity can be made by renewable energy and battery tech can get better (along w recycling), EVs are not exactly the cleanest and most perfect solution.
2) Current EVs suffer from high costs, limited range, long charging times, and added weight. Driving my '89 EV made me keenly aware of all this. I suppose that in the next 10 years many of these problems will be solved, but they currently vex some of our engineers (and believe me, I know some of them quite well).
3) At this point in time, I absolutely agree that plug in hybrids that get 70 mpg and 130 MPGe are actually superior in every way (I would run mine almost exclusively in EV mode, but I'd have more potential range, lighter weight, and perhaps even less environmental impact depending on the electricity source).
4) The various 2035 automotive mandates are interesting. In CA, Newsom made the edict wo any tech pathway, but fair enough. To "get there", most engineers will tell you that heavier vehicles (ie trucks) will need to be hydrogen powered (much greater energy density than batteries, whose weight could defeat truck applications unless something changes). The big question might be "at what point does a PHEV equal the environmental impact of a pure EV?" A moving target but a 100 mpg PHEV w 60 mile range and 180 MGPe is awfully "green", all things considered.
5) Things like my son's biodiesel vehicles may not stand up to 2035 vehicle standards, but are high mileage "net zero" from renewable sources.
6) The extreme greenie bias against "all things that burn" is currently kind of silly since most electricity comes from that, with huge future electricity demands. Can we create a no burn world by 2050? Perhaps, but we may need transitional tech, as you imply.
7) A big issue w engineers is that large things that carry large loads need energy dense/portable energy (again, hard to imagine a tank/F15/or 18 wheeler pure EV any time soon, but w hybrid tech or hydrogen, absolutely) Some of my thoughts:
https://scottvern.medium.com/are-americans-approaching-pickup-truck-valhalla-37237b5d250e
