When researching an electric vehicle, there is much discussion about "Range Anxiety." What is this? It's the fear of running out of "fuel" and being stuck on the side of the road in your electric vehicle. In the case of my 2102 Nissan Leaf, Electra, she ranges out at about 80 miles, based on my average driving pattern which includes about 50 miles of interstate driving.
It's hard to put this in perspective to a ICE-driver, but let me put it this way. Let's say I were driving a "regular" gas-powered vehicle. Upon fill-up, I would have around 300-400 miles to go on a tank of gas. At the point that the fuel gauge drops to the yellow zone (or near the Empty) on the fuel gauge, I would need to look for a place to fill my tank. Some folks are comfortable being in the yellow zone and will drive the car until they know they are barely on fumes. Other folks can't stand to be in the yellow zone, and they'll fill their cars up, "just in case."
Driving an electric vehicle is like always being in the yellow zone. If you're comfortable knowing that you have about 60 miles left of fuel, and you're willing to keep driving until you know you're about to run out, that's the life of a Leaf driver. But if you're a no-yellow zone type of person, a Leaf might not be comfortable for you. You'll suffer range anxiety the entire time you own the car.
Me, I don't suffer at all. I know how far I drive, I know Electra will get me there and back, and I don't worry about "being on fumes", or at the tail end of my range. I know at some point, Electra will show me her turtle--that's the warning light that tells me she's about to turn off--but until then, I trust my range gauge and know I'll make it to the next charging station safely. Which, by the way, is usually my home.
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