This is the paradox of AI… generate lots of plausibly good sounding material, but you need a human to spend loads of time validating it. Software is already going through this issue.

Why does America do the wrong thing before doing the obviously right thing?

I think the downsides are going to be mitigated soon. There are cars that get 400-600 miles of range. There are also new battery materials that can be charged in 5-10 minutes. Once one of those solutions become widely available, adoption will pick up. Also, gas hitting European prices in the US of $10-$12/gallon would also make people switch damn quick.