Until they can get a battery with almost no chance of exploding, or catching fire, after thousands of recharges, electric cars are going nowhere.
Also, cold weather performance is an issue. I don’t think that a 200 mile range is sufficient, because when its -40C out, that battery will likely be dead in 8 hours, even if you had charged it and didn’t go anywhere.
Then you have to buy off the EPA in order to be able to dispose of them when the time comes.
battery cars are a fantasy. interposing a third agent between the power plant and the drive train is mechanically inefficient. If you have to have an electric motor, you need on-board power generation, ala LeTorneau, but the question of purpose is still unanswered.
The main goal of battery-electric car seems to be the centralization of motive power. In other words, it's communism on wheels.
The battery is kept within a certain temp range when the car is plugged in, and when the car is being driven. It is either heated or cooled, as necessary. Enough heat is generated by the motor and electric components to keep the battery coolant warm on a cold day.
This is true for most electric cars, with the Nissan Leaf being one exception. Which is why the Leaf has serious range variations. It has no temperature control system for it’s battery pack, except for a small fan.
Thus the recommendation to keep the cars plugged in whenever possible to allow certain systems to remain powered and functional without draining the battery pack.
This also allows the car’s interior to be warmed up or cooled down before you get in.
You still have range affects from temperature variations, but they aren’t nearly as bad as you’d think on the better engineered cars. Unless you leave them unplugged in the winter overnight...