The government & oil companies have always been a tad funny about hybrid cars etc, as they bought the pentanes to them years ago and its only been due to the recent public outcry that they have waved these ideas out in front of the masses, in the hope of a heroic applaud.
MY POINT: they’ve thought out the tax problem ages ago.

The chicken was a mutation of another species.
MY POINT: the chicken came first.

If you think of the effort and dollars required to build a complete electric car infrastructure it is a mammoth task. You are have to think in terms of modules.

Which comes first the chicken or the egg?

As you rightly point out electricity can be produced in a number of ways so when the carbon based fuels run out we will have the infrastructure ‘module’ in place to accept a recharge from any source. Enter the electric car and charging stations. [ Ode to joy plays in background ]

The next ‘module’ is to move from carbon based systems to hydrogen as a fuel for the powerstations that will charge up the electric car. If you have a look at the technologies from desalination to the production of hydrogen itself the hydrogen ‘module’ is a very real alternative now. [ We will rock you plays in background ]

It is the political ‘module’ which will present the greatest difficulty. The special interests of big oil, big coal have embedded themselves so deeply in the democratic system they have become controllers of it. While there is oil in the ground our strategicly oil based masters will not allow their power or profits to be diminished. Government, corrupted and diverted by these special interests, has to change. [funeral march plays in background]

If China follows the American model of energy consumption it will need four planet Earths to sustain it. This in short will lead to war for economic resources.

Political change will come once governments and special interests have figured out a way to obtain the same level of power, control, and profit over alternative energy. Enter carbon credits [ 'I want money' plays in background ]

The alternative energy world is very scary for governments imagine a power plant in your backyard that runs on water. You are free from utilities and centralized power production and the government doesn’t get the tax. The moneygoround stops. [ Tears Of a Clown plays in background ]

To me the low power production of water is at once good news for poor impoverished people and agriculture. Also an enabling technology for the production of Hydrogen. [ Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life plays in foreground..... Exits]