What I suspect will happen is that prices will remain fairly constant as battery technology improves. The technology of today (I originally wrote current-generation, which was too awful an inadvertent pun to continue with) will get much cheaper, but the EV and hybrid manufacturers will continue to innovate and look for ways to increase storage density and reduce weight and cost.

At some point, and I don't know when, we'll reach a plateau in energy density and weight. When that happens, if we're still using expensive commodities, demand will start to drive up prices.

I don't work in the battery business, the rare-metals-commodity business, or the automotive industry, so take my opinion as being that of a car enthusiast rather than any sort of expert.

For myself, I would have LOST MY FREAKING MIND today if I were driving a slow EV or hybrid. My friends' kid broke her arm and I was elected to go screaming off to the ER with her. She has a medical history that demanded urgent transport, and nobody wanted to wait for the paramedics. Hybrids and EVs will need to be a lot more economical, with greater payload and significantly better performance before I would consider one.