Bigger batteries and more charging stations are helping remove the range anxiety that was preventing many from buying a new electric car.

Most modern family-sized EVs can do 200 miles (322 km) or more, which is usually enough for anyone not regularly needing to cross areas of the country where charging station availability can’t be guaranteed.

Things have really moved on since 2010 and the launch of the original Nissan Leaf with its tiny 24 kWh battery. Nissan’s landmark EV was originally rated at 103 miles (166 km) of driving range under the old make-believe NEDC protocol which must have been run by glue-sniffing fantasists; the EPA’s 73-mile (117 km) figure was far more realistic.

That 73-mile range seems laughable compared with the 226 miles (364 km) available from the current Leaf with the optional 62 kWh battery. But battery degradation means that a decade on from leaving the showroom many of those original Leafs can’t even claim anywhere near a 70-mile (112 km) range.

Related: How Far Can The Latest Electric Cars Really Go On A charge?

Range Anxiety Taken To A New Level

Auto Trader UK’s Rory Reid recently bought a 2012 Leaf and claims he wouldn’t trust it to cover more than 50 miles (80 km) – and winter hasn’t kicked in in Britain yet. When the cold arrives, that range is going to drop even further. As it stands, you can already buy electric scooters that will travel further on a full charge.

Wired’s current top scooter recommendation, the $680/£599 Xiaomi M365 Pro, is only good for 27 miles (43 km) of electric scooting. And while that’s surely enough for most users, the website does recommend the $950/£659 Ninebot Max G30 with its used Leaf-rivaling 40-mile (64 km) range for buyers with a long commute.

Scooter Or Car?

But the G30 is far from the rangiest scooter around. The Nami Burn-E is claimed to be capable of a massive 90 miles (145 km) in optimum conditions, and at least 50 miles (80 km) in real-world use. We’re not sure who needs a scooter that goes that far, or one that can reach almost 60 mph (96 km/h), but we guess someone thinks they do. Apart from a humungous 101 lbs (46 kg) weight, the Burn-E’s big drawback would appear to be its $4,495 (£3,950) price. Which, coincidentally, is roughly what you might pay for a very early Nissan Leaf.

Of course, people buying into the Leaf a decade ago were doing so knowing that its limited range was never going to be suitable for long journeys. And that holds true for people buying those same cars used. If you’re simply looking for a dirt-cheap commuter hack that costs nothing to run, is exempt from charges like the one levied on people who drive ICE cars into London, and you’re never going to do more than 40 miles (64 km) in a day, a used Leaf might look like a great buy.

Keeping Your Leaf Evergreen

It’s certainly safer and drier than traveling by scooter, although you do have the problem of finding somewhere to put it when you arrive at work (unlike an e-scooter, a Nissan Leaf tends not to store easily under a desk). And if you decide you do need more room, there are plenty of companies who will replace your Leaf battery with a newer (and potentially bigger) battery pack.

EV Rides of Portland, Oregon, will supply and fit a good used 24 kWh battery to a 2011-12 Leaf for $3,000 (£2,200), restoring its original range, which sounds like a good option for extending an EV’s lifespan. They’ll even upgrade it to 40 kWh and 150-160 miles (241-258 km), though we’re not sure dumping $9,000 (£6,600) into an old electric car is necessarily money well spent.

Another alternative is to fit a range extender battery in the trunk. Netherlands-based Muxsan (which also has agents in the UK) offers three levels of an add-on battery pack that sit in the trunk floor. They range from 11 kWh to 33 kWh and cost between €4,990 ($5770/£4240) and €11,390 ($13,200/£9670). They also take up trunk space and add a load of weight over the rear end, which could make handling interesting if Muxsan didn’t tweak the suspension as part of the package.

Or you could just make peace with your bargain Leaf’s limitations, enjoy it for what it is, and buy a $600 scooter to stick in the trunk and take you those last 20 miles in emergencies.