> Hydrogen vehicles have not proven to match or even beat EV's in a lot of key metrics that matter

Not yet. That is the nature of technological R&D - if we had the answers, we wouldn't be doing R&D.

AI before the last decade or so didn't beat other computer technologies in key metrics; should they have stopped developing it? Fusion power doesn't beat fission and other options in key metrics; solar didn't beat other sources in key metrics, including costs, ... - should humanity have stopped developing those things?

Toyota have been researching hydrogen cars since the early 90's.

Unless you can find a way to double their efficiency, and also get hydrogen down to close to 1:1 energy input to output it's just not an efficienct use of electricity.