In the US, road trips of 1,600km aren’t even half way across the country. Charge speeds make a big difference on getting to your destination in a single day.

Another low cost option is a Chevy bolt. They have more range, a more common charger type, and about same charging speeds as leafs

Pre-2026 model Nissan leafs have very slow charging speeds, like 50 kW or less. And they might have an uncommon charging plug (chademo). If you plan to charge only at home or perhaps if your work has a level 2 charger, that could work. But road trips or other instances where you might like a fast charger will be excruciating.

Used Hyundai Kona EVs may be slightly more expensive but max charging rates are around 100kW. Hyundai Ioniq 5s and Kia EV6 or EV9 can charge north of 200kW, but that comes at a much greater cost.

Edit: adding to top level comment that Chevy Bolts are also a low cost option. They have more range, a more common plug, and similar charge speeds as Leafs.

I’m also a fan of used VW ID.4s for a car that balances middle of the pack pricing, >200mi range, and 170kW max charge rate

The Expanse does a good job delving into somewhat realistic internal solar system travel/physics in the not too distant future and politics of Earth vs Mars vs asteroid “Belters” factions

The seed was planted with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the EU has been ramping up renewables since then. Sure I could see this continuing

This article is spot on, I really dislike the doom and gloom messaging that is common to attempt to motivate people into action. It makes people feel hopeless. Climate change solutions all have other more immediate benefits for say human health or financial safety, or even just preventing deforestation. It’s more motivating to emphasize the benefits of doing something rather than the consequences of not doing it.

Even with major corporations being the primary culprits of climate change, individual choices of people add up. Taking public transit or biking, improving energy efficiency/home weatherization, eating less meat, and generally getting off of fossil fuels often provides the greatest benefits to the people who make those changes.