Yeah, it does seem stupid. But we have not just IC cars, but also generators, boats, diesel engines, and a whole industry that relies on petroleum distillates for plastics and other products.

We are in ‘peak oil’ - which is that petroleum is getting harder to find, and more expensive. If this technology takes off, it’s also likely that as economies of scale are developed to bring costs down.

I figure at some point they’ll meet in the middle in terms of price point.

I’m somewhat excited because airborne carbon capture on its own lacks economic incentive. But carbon capture to create resources has an economic incentive.
I hate to be all pro-capitalism, but I think that’s reassuring in terms of progress that won’t just dead-end as willpower drains away.