Why are these societal parasites even worth talking about?

Not with current battery tech they won't. Even the article mentions a pitiful 200km range with up to 400km using hybrid tech (so back to using combustibles, are we?). Real world practical range capabilities of electric planes will have to wait until we get better battery tech with higher energy density. Right now this seems like another too-good-to-be-true company which appears promising so that they get investors and subsidies to line the pockets of the founders.