.... some sci-fi improvement to battery storage levels will be needed before people stop thinking about hydrogen.
I know graphene batteries seem to have been "just around the corner" for some time now, but in theory, they could provide the great leap forward you are talking about. As I understand it, the main difficulty is working out how to manufacture them economically. The more electric car market develops, the quicker this is likely to happen.
Graphene offers higher electrical conductivity than lithium-ion batteries. This would allows for faster-charging cells that are able to deliver very high currents. They will be lighter and more compact, and capable of more than five times the capacity. They should also be safer.
Lots of amazing people are working on this stuff. It will happen.
