You don't need an electric vehicle with a long range — buy one you can afford instead

• Many prospective electric car buyers worry about an EV's range, or how far it goes on a charge.

• But with new battery tech and more available charging, range shouldn't be a prime factor.

• EV-buyers should focus on other things instead, experts say.

• This article is part of a series called Getting Ready for Electric, a practical guide to buying your next EV.

When car-buyers consider going electric, they typically wonder about the vehicle's cost, charging setup, and how far it can go on a full battery. But some experts say that in picking the right electric car, that last question of range is becoming less important — and less helpful.

Take the first Nissan Leaf, which offered a range of just about 73 miles when it debuted over a decade ago. Today, it can go 212 miles without plugging in. And that's for a $27,800 car. If you're willing to drop $138,000 on a Lucid Air Grand Touring, you don't have to worry about recharging for more than 500 miles.

These rising figures stem largely from improving battery tech. But even with better batteries, range isn't necessarily the best factor by which to select an EV.

That's because in reality, most drivers don't need long-range EVs.

"That's the key thing: Reassuring people in the first place about how far they're really, really driving," Nigel Zeid, an EV educator and sales specialist, told Insider. "You need people to understand how far they're actually driving in a day."

How much range is enough for your electric car?

Most estimates suggest a full tank of gas in an internal-combustion engine vehicle gets on average 300 miles. If drivers are good with that, a 300-mile-range EV should be more than enough.