Sails [0] [1] [2] are obviously more sustainable than the gigantic industry needed around batteries this size. That'd of course massively increase the cost of shipping and suddenly producing most things locally would make more economical sense. Bye bye £2 jeans from Shein.
Sorry this makes zero sense. The low price of shipping comes from the huge size of ships. All these 100% sailing ventures are just so someone can sell you gourmet coffee with a nice story at outrageous prices
I think the volume is what defines the cost for cargo shipping so your 10x is likely pessimistic. $2.50 is both significant relative to the price of one these jeans and not much compared to what has been the expected cost of a pair for decades.
It says more about how dirt cheap shipping is the single enabler of globalization, even doubling the cost may not be enough to significantly shorten the supply chains.
[0] https://www.towt.eu/en/home/
[1] https://www.neoline.eu/
[2] https://graindesail.com/fr/voilier-cargo-grain-de-sail-3/