[brrt]

I agree fully, synfuels are a hugely naive idea. However, I've been pondering the use of direct-ethanol fuel cells in the place of 'range extenders' that are currently on some EVs. Advantages are legion: ethanol has a ready (and in possibly sustainable) supply chain, ethanol is a liquid with comparable-if-low vapor pressure as gasoline, i.e. readily handled, ethanol is not hugely poisonous like methanol, has quite decent energy density, etc. Fuel cell conversion is acceptably efficient (compared to ICE anyway), so not that much fuel would be needed; most consumers would prefer to charge at home anyway, for cost reasons. The fuel cell would be used to back-up the battery, therefore it wouldn't have to be really large - it only needs to provide the mean load, not the peak load. And you'd never have 'range anxiety' again...

Disadvantages?