Currently reasonable driving distances are limited largely by human endurance: you can only drive so far in a single day without needing bathroom breaks, food a

Currently reasonable driving distances are limited largely by human endurance: you can only drive so far in a single day without needing bathroom breaks, food and eventually sleep, which is when the author of the story recharges their car. If/when fully self-driving cars ever become practical, there's really nothing stopping the car from driving forever, and that's when fast chargers will again become essential.