All the more reason to tax what you don't want and not subsidize specific solutions. The government should focus on the problem, not on specific solutions to the problem.
Because politically deciding what should succeed is not science. Politicians may not even be aware of a better solution. Or it may not be lobbied as hard as poorer solutions.
In the consumers got tax benefits only for the first 250k cars. Tesla blew past that many,many years ago and it didnt stop their growth in the least.
And clean air credits would count for Hydrogen vehicles too.
BEV won because its quite simply far better almost any way you look at it. Fiancial, infrastruce , conviniance, mass production and so on. And its not even close.
The market values many dimensions, not just a few considerations or what someone decides is "science". Like switching costs. Or failure to get the product into people's hands, even if it is better.
Even setting the price too high matters. Or setting it too low to pay the bills.
And many other things. Including the preferences of millions of people.
A scientist couldn't design an experiment that replicates what the market already is.