Evolutionary Revolution: The 2019 Kia Niro EV EX Premium

The 2019 Kia Niro EV EX Premium.

Okay, so you're ready to make the leap to an electric vehicle. An all-electric range of over 200 miles is within your comfort zone and you have choices. But the Tesla Model 3 seems a little too futuristic, you're not wild about the looks of the Nissan Leaf Plus and the Chevy Bolt seems too small.

The 2019 Kia Niro EV may be just what you're looking for. It's a conventional compact crossover, about the same size as a Toyota RAV4 or a Honda CR-V. In fact, Kia sells the Niro as a gasoline-powered model---but they also have the Niro EV, which is all-electric.

A New Leaf: The 2019 Nissan Leaf SL

The 2019 Nissan Leaf.

It's a twice-in-a-decade thing---at least for us.  Incredibly, the last time we were in a Nissan Leaf was the summer of 2011.

Was it something we said?

Might have been, because if you read the review linked above, it was a primer on range anxiety.  The Leaf of eight years ago had an EPA-estimated range of 73 miles on a charge, and a series of mishaps meant lost opportunities to charge.  And when we could charge, it was on household current.  High-voltage vehicle charging stations were very rare at the time.

So let's just say right up front:  The new Leaf is a whole lot better than the old one.

Tantalizingly Close: The 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV

The 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV.

It has become clear, at least to me, that the time is coming, and soon, when there will be an electric vehicle (EV) with so few compromises in terms of range and charging time that it will tip the scales and the internal combustion engine (ICE) will become merely a segment of the automotive marketplace, one that, from that point on, will be doomed to shrinking market share and an eventual extinction.

In the past two years, two automobiles have arrived that some have said are those cars---the Tesla Model 3 and the Chevrolet Bolt.  Another much-anticipated electric, the Hyundai Kona EV, is on its way.  We've yet to drive the Tesla (but until one can actually be bought for anywhere close to the promised $35,000 price---most are rolling out the door well over $50,000---it's not going to be the car that alone turns the tide) or the Hyundai, so that leaves us, for now, to examine the Bolt.

The Optimal Optima? The 2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid

The 2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid.

I am rapidly becoming a fan of plug-in hybrids.  Here's my reasoning:

Pure electrics can leave you stranded, or at the very least, unable to get where you need to go as quickly as you could with a gasoline-powered car.

Gasoline-electric hybrids use gasoline and pollute the air for at least part of most trips.

A plug-in hybrid gives you a certain amount of pure electric range before switching into hybrid mode...meaning it's at least possible, depending on your commute and other trips, to not use a single drop of gas or put a particle of tailpipe emissions into the atmosphere for days, weeks or longer.