There are biofuels that (for a while at least) have better energy density than batteries. There are applications for internal combustion engines where practica

There are biofuels that (for a while at least) have better energy density than batteries. There are applications for internal combustion engines where practical alternatives are not even on the horizon, big ocean freighters for example. It's very narrow minded to dismiss this as "wasted effort", just because it's not part of the endgame vision where no fuel is burned for any reason ever. There are many steps between the status quo and that idealized scenario, and any improvement in efficiency is always a good thing.