I thought the same thing. But back when it was introduced, batteries were really expensive. Now, a battery pack for a ~250 mile electric car would cost ~6k. Th

I thought the same thing. But back when it was introduced, batteries were really expensive. Now, a battery pack for a ~250 mile electric car would cost ~6k. That still isn't ideal for long distances, but it would make a fantastic commuter car and an occasional long distance trip would only become inconvenient, not impossible. Effectively it covers the same space and the cost increase to make a serial hybrid (like the Volt) is no longer economic.