I wasn't comparing energy in a battery to energy in the atmosphere. I was comparing a car in city A with a car moved to city B. Both in warm atmosphere. You ca

I wasn't comparing energy in a battery to energy in the atmosphere. I was comparing a car in city A with a car moved to city B. Both in warm atmosphere. You can heat the atmosphere AND move the car, without creating more entropy than by just heating the atmosphere. So it looks like moving the car does not create entropy / does not use energy. With the gold, you cannot buy an apartment with it if you sprinkle it in the ocean. You have to decide: Buy an apartment OR sprinkle it in the ocean. You can't get the apartment AND an ocean with gold sprinkles. So you can't get the apartment for free.