i didn't infer that it was a waste (ooww! ba da bing!) of time, only that one shouldn't needlessly get excited over it.
Scientists predict that we're probably at LEAST 150 or so years away from being able to adequately replace the internal combustion engine with an engine that uses a feasible well-supplied alternative producing the same efficient results in terms of output and power.
Which means it's a safe bet we'll all still be going to a gas station to fill up our car on our last day on this planet.