I think trying to use plugin electric cars for long range transportation is always going to be terribly difficult and inconvenient, even they are already proving themselves to be great grocery getters and short to medium range daily commuters. Charging is always going to be time consuming and inconvenient. And ironically, in light of what I am fixing to suggest, plug-in electric driving got a big boost from tinkerers who owned hybrids and wanted plug in capability so that they would not have to run the engine for short drives. The early hybrid cars had very small packs and very limited electric range, so even giving thm plug in capability left them crippled. Now, we have electric cars bragging about 200 and 300 mile ranges. The obvious next step is to take another look at hybrid cars, but instead of the emphasis on the internal combustion side of things, create a car that is PRIMARILY electric, with a significant electric range, but a generator onboard for those times when the batteries are low and no charging station is near or accessible, or on a several hundred mile trip where it is not desireable to stop for an hour or several to recharge, anyway. Let's say you have a 30kwhr battery, and maybe a 20kw air cooled diesel or gasoline generator and a 15gallon tank for fuel. Maybbe that adds what... 500 lbs to the GVW? 600lbs? Then, you drive on electric until down to say 30% charge, the generator starts either manually or automatically, charging the pack just barely faster than it is depleted, and on you drive. When you stop for the night, put the car on shore power and charge. With a microprocessor running things, if the scheduled time to resume driving is entered, then the generator could be autimatically restarted if the plug in charger will not top off the battery in time.
The goal for a road vehicle should be efficient and leaast expensive topping up of power, of course, but that shouldn't mean you are limited to only a couple hundred mile range, even if it involves some use of a combustion engine when necessary. Due to the extra weight, efficiency as a short range car to pick up the kids from school or make a beer run will suffer a bit, but a pure electric grocery getter could be had as a second car for such short range errand running. The thing is, for a one car household, the pure electric will be somewhat limiting. A long range hybrid can do it all. The hybrids we have now, rely too heavily on the engine and not enough on mains charging.
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