My personal opinion is that when we are really ready to do so, we can start a crash program similar to the Manhattan Project, or the Apollo Program, and make this work in a 15 - 20 year time frame. But as long as big oil keeps everything off track with their big money, it will not happen. Look at it this way, with all the advances we have made in the last 40 years, how much of an improvement have we really made in the performance, fuel efficiency, or pollution control of our automobile engines? Hardly where it should be.....
Just my opinion.....