I'm not sure if the author is correct. I have this setting enabled. My iPhone died, it's my only apple device. Apple replaced it, I logged into iCloud on the new phone and all my Messages restored (along with everything else, it was like my old phone). How is that not a backup?
seems to be missing one important thing, all the EV owners have chargers at home, someone just needs to leverage this network to make it easy to book a charge at any owner's place that available and convenient - if you supply, you can consume, everyone benefits.
one of the techniques of war is, get your enemies to expend resources. this is simply a way of doing that. now they have to spend money and time "just in case" there's something there.