I am guessing the design intent here is that the Average Driver is has been cultured to look at the "range remaining" number and not the fuel gauge. Fewer automotive companies are using actual analog gauges for 2 reasons... they are expensive and take up too much precious dashboard real estate. While I love tech, I detest virtual gauges. Not to say that real gauges are always better... in my car there is a real water temp gauge...needle and everything. I have been told it does not display the real temp...it shows 90C when all is well...and nothing else. Only when things really get bad will the ECU tell that needle to move. Some gauges can lie better than others, I suppose.