Warren writes:

The whole point of grilling is to get the flavor that you can
only get with charcoal.

There is no flavor from a charcoal fire. It is nearly pure carbon emitting
hot CO2 and H20, heated air, and radiation. Just like gas.

The flavor is from the heat intensity and distribution, the ventilation of
fresh air instead of trapping various vapors, the volatilization of
drippings, the lack of old cooking residues, etc.. A charcoal fire happens
to produce favorable versions of all these factors, but the charcoal itself
is a tasteless fuel, as is gas. Gas can approach charcoal in these
regards, but it is hard to maintain that quality as crud builds up and
weather/heat-cycling corrodes.