Depends on the car you drive. 30mpg is really good for a gaz-guzzler, but mid-range sedans can easily be driven into the 40s.
Really? Here are some numbers from Kiplinger's "best midsize sedan" list from 2009:
* Sonata 32mpg highway.
* Mazda 6 30mpg highway.
* Chevy Malibu 33mpg highway.
* Nissan Altima 31mpg highway.
http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/car/archive/2008/car1207.ht...
Cars.com mentions the best in each class for 2011, and it's the Nissan Versa and Sentra, each at 34mpg for the "Midsize Cars" class.
Looking at FuelEconomy.gov, listed by class ("family sedan"), the only midsize sedans I can find that break 40mpg are the Passat diesel (43mpg) and the Hyundai Elantra (40mpg), the next highest is 31mpg.
It varies from car to car really, depending on engine details, transmission gear ratios, transmission type and aerodynamics. With my previous car the best mileage was achieved around 110km/h (68mph). At this speed, it was in the high 40s.
That said, I don't consider driving <= 60mph to be 'easy'.
But I was referring to the current EPA numbers; the pre-2007 EPA ratings are harder to exceed by such large percentages.
Uh...
you can easily get 10-20% above the EPA highway rating
Of course, city, which is where I live, is closer to 19 or 20.
That said, I think you're (sadly) right, but not for the reason you're stating. Because electric cars can't be recharged in five minutes, consumers will suddenly think they have to go even further on a charge. They will completely ignore the fact that they commute 15 miles each way, every day, and the fact that they already have that minivan they use for long trips anyway.
That said, your argument doesn't really apply to this car. "The EPA official all-electric range is 35 miles (56 km), and the total range is 379 miles (610 km)." (Wikipedia) That qualifies as, "closer to 400 miles per charge."