EDITORIAL: The long-range EV blues

Time waits for no one, and neither do ferry boats. I'm writing this month's column from an island 30 miles out into northern Lake Michigan, and to get my family vehicle here for our annual vacation requires reserving a space on the lake ferry six months in advance. It ain't cheap and missing the boat is not an option. So, our 290-mile (466-km) trek from home to the ferry terminal, with jam-packed minivan, is a single-shot dash at 75 mph. One 5-minute restroom break is the only stop we make.

Having ample range from a single tank of fuel is requisite for my primary-use vehicles, just as it is for the guy who was parking his Volkswagen Passat TDI Wagon at the ferry landing when I pulled in. His rig was outfitted for campin' and fishin', with a rooftop cargo pod and a single-axle trailer carrying a small utility boat and a kayak.