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"True costs" of batteries... compared to what? The whole climate issue is about including true costs that otherwise don't get counted. Replacement costs vs the utility? I think Li-ion is doing well on that scale and battery tech is still a work in progress. My understanding is that most of the earliest Tesla's still have the original batteries and most can expect a longer working life with less maintenance than ICE drivetrains. But I don't expect Li-ion to stay the same or to be the only viable chemistry. It is disappointing that you aren't putting those numbers into perspective. I think there is a strong thread of alarmist fear about the resource requirements and wastes of renewable energy that is being encouraged by opponents of climate accountability and supporters of fossil fuels and I don't think it is warranted; I urge you not to buy into it. It is not that there are not problem wastes from RE but that the problem wastes from fossil fuel burning are so, so, so abundant as well as intractable. Australia makes 12.5 million tons a year of serious problem waste in the form of coal ash - 125x expected battery waste in a heavily RE and battery dependent 2036 - and 4,000 times as much CO2 as that. Neither waste is amenable to recycling - I am not convinced including fly ash in concrete can be scaled sufficiently, nor that it won't leave an enduring legacy of heavy metals contaminated concrete. CCS (with 2-3 tons of CO2 for each ton of FF burned) can't scale up and is just Greenwash. There is recognition of the need for solutions to RE waste - and supporters of fossil fuels won't stop reminding us. Renewable energy industry overall tends to accept the need to develop recycling/safe disposal and appears open to inclusion of pre-payment for disposal in initial purchase. I don't think recycling/safe disposal is even possible for fossil fuels wastes but the industry fiercely opposes any accountability. I would note that EV and large scale batteries are very unlikely to enter ordinary waste streams and it is small consumer item batteries that are a fire risk. No vehicle recycler is going to be stupid enough to put them in the crusher (well, let's hope not) and no ordinary landfill will accept them. We will deal with the wastes - that will be in much reduced volumes compared to FF's and, foreseeing the issues, will probably do so better at it than we've handled problem wastes in the past.

Oh, so for you the swelling was in your foot! That’s weird. 😂

Every system has its stengths and weaknesses so thank you to beecee for giving us the opportunity to fully discuss the one based on hydrogen. +1 A further thought / question occurs to me. What would be the design life of such a system? How would that affect the financial and energy whole life costs ? I note for comparison that since the widespread uptake of lithium based rechargeable batteries many are now finding the true cost when the batteries need replacing.

I feel like you are always more interested in sparring than discussing.

I would imagine that along with most other forms of alternate energy sources, these are continually being looked at.

Meanwhile, in the USA

I know what you mean. Sometimes questions are asked on this site, and members are all too quick to jump on them with claims of 'hidden agendas' and accusations of 'denial'. I prefer giving the benefit of the doubt, and I've often been wrong, but sometimes peple just come to a science site to get the opinion of scientifically minded people. Why waste an opportunity to change the opinion of someone who's not thinking clearly ? Not that I'm accusing anyone of doing so, but sometimes the most important discussions, pertaining to climate change, race and gender relations, gun control, etc., are shut down by such accusations before they even begin. Unfortunate because these are discussions that need to happen

Which has been answered hundreds of times. Science can also say, and has said what they should do, which was in the question. What they will or won't do because of the other craziness was not in the question. No, Love, hate, relationships, poetry, art, music, literature, and spirituality are not problems. They are human experiences and activities. They don't require solving. People are capable of creating problems in each of those areas of endeavour and they're equally capable of solving their individual problems in their individual ways. No intervention required. The same goes for personal, societal and racial problems: people make them; people solve them. That's life. While there is an ultimate scientific solution to life, most of us don't consider it an optimum outcome - at least, not just yet.