Once you've driven, or even ride in, a Tesla, you'll understand why people get enamored with them. None of the other mainstream EV's comes close to the performance of the model S or X. It is sad how there is the same dynamic with Tesla and the love / hate feelings it seems to create that Apple has, especially with Americans. You have a guy who created, basically from the ground up, a new car company, a new kind of car, yet people disparage Elon and Tesla as a waste of money. I'm not saying we should raise him up on a pedestal, but recognizing that what he's doing is going to change the entire market for the better should be a starting point.
I'm not sure the lack of change to electric power for the medium to heavy duty vehicle use is based upon these markets not being sexy, but rather I believe it is an issue of change itself and most people and companies do not want to change. My company is going through similar challenges, trying to bring a new technology and product into an even more mature market - forest products (wood). From the top brass of companies not willing to invest in and try something new (fearing loss of share value), to the workers who have been doing things the way they were taught for decades, unwilling to change (for fear of failing or losing their jobs), but it only takes one person or company to see the light (we thankfully have several) and eventually this drastic shift will become the norm - again just like how Apple changed the cell phone market.