> why not just fund/subsidize the research and development until it's actually competitive? Because R&D isn't all that's needed. It takes time to grow an indu

> why not just fund/subsidize the research and development until it's actually competitive? Because R&D isn't all that's needed. It takes time to grow an industry. It's one thing to project future economies of scale, quite another to demonstrate that those economies are already being realized. IIRC, battery prices are on track to fall by another 50% by 2023 or so. That will be a game-changer, and there's no way it could have happened through R&D alone.