For most people, most EVs can handle daily drives, no problem. According to the Electric Vehicle Database, a typical new all-electric vehicle (aka battery electric vehicle or BEV) has a real-world range of about 218 miles. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics estimates that Americans drive an average of 40 miles per day, and less than 1 percent of all trips are longer than 100 miles (and that’s including air and rail travel). So today’s EVs should suffice for almost everybody’s work commute and shopping trips, especially if you're able to plug in at home.

Even short-range EVs can be totally fine for some people’s needs. The Mini Cooper Electric has one of the highest customer satisfaction ratings among EVs, despite having one of the shorter ranges at just 110 miles.

Longer road trips are more of a toss-up. It depends on the specific car, how frequently you're willing to stop to recharge, and how long you're willing to wait at each stop. (And if you also own a gas car that you're willing to still use for long-distance drives, it's a moot point for now.)

Short-range, slow-charging EVs like the base-model Nissan Leaf aren’t practical for long trips out of town. You’d be forced to stop driving every two hours or so (145 miles), recharge for an hour, and repeat the process.

The basic Tesla Model Y might be practical for some trips or travel styles, but not others. In mild weather at highway speeds in a typical driving style, it realistically travels about 200 miles per charge (maybe 3 hours of driving), and can recharge the bulk of its battery in 25 minutes (on what's widely regarded as the best fast-charging network in the US). If you're okay with those breaks every two or three hours, it's no problem. But you'll never have the option to "push through" for longer stretches.

A plug-in hybrid could also be a viable option. (These are like half-electric, half-gas cars—more on them below, if you’re unfamiliar.) For example, the Toyota Rav4 Prime travels about 42 miles on a fully charged battery. Then it switches to a gas-hybrid mode that can carry you another 550 miles (at roughly 35 miles per gallon of gas) before you'll need to fill up again.

True long-range all-electric cars are also common now, too, if they fit your budget. The Tesla Model Y Long Range can run for a respectable 250 miles on a full battery, and recharge to the recommended level in less than 30 minutes. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 Long Range goes about 240 highway miles, but has particularly quick recharging speeds, recovering the bulk of its range in 16 minutes. And at the very high end, the Lucid Air GT can cruise for a mighty 415 miles or more on a full charge—and can recharge quickly, too.

Intimidated by managing the battery on long trips? EVs often have guides built into their infotainment systems that can map out your route, including charging stations along the way.

Cold weather can sap an EV's range
During the winter, you should expect a substantially shorter range from your EV than the advertised amount. When the temperature drops down to 15 Fahrenheit or so, expect a loss of about 25% of your real-world mileage in an all-electric vehicle.

Two things work against an EV's range in cold weather.

First, EV batteries aren’t as efficient in low temperatures. The chemical reactions slow down, which results in greater electrical resistance and reduced overall performance.

Second, heating your car and defrosting the windows also sucks up a lot of electricity. The more energy needed for warming up the car, the less that’s available for driving.