How Important is Range?

When thinking about buying a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV), the first question many people ask is “How far can I drive on one charge?” This is an important point, because the inquirer wants to know if such vehicle will allow the driver to get to work and back and take him/her to other destinations. But many people think they need far more range than they really do. Some drivers bought a NEV thinking they would use it as their second car, for trips that didn’t require much range. They subsequently found that the NEV became the primary car. The majority of their trips were of very short distances, for which the NEV was than adequate. The gasoline-burning car was used for occasional out-of-town trips.