I usually take everything on that particular editorial page with a grain of salt.

Edit: I noticed the author is now trying to pass off Yogi Berra as an economist in this article, a move reminiscent of when when he tried to pass himself off as an economist in order to spew a bunch of lies to the community, bitch that the meetings were too long, and ultimately decide that the worst community Covid response in the world is all our community needed, or deserved. Real economists understand long term snowball effects of bad public resource decisions, like overall failure of emergency systems when infrastructure is overloaded. I don't doubt that he hangs out with people so privileged that they don't see the need to lower themselves to periodically check a fuel gauge though.

A few comments:

This strikes me as - at best - cherrypicking an example in order to support a predetermined conclusion. It also sounds suspect for a number of reasons.

I'm not knowledgable about Kia EVs, but I question whether a Kia EV alone should be used to make generalizations about EVs.

I also would beware of making generalizations based on a rental EV of any kind. Proper charging of EV batteries is essential to both their longevity and their capacity. Improper charging can cause problems.

Of course, the range of fully charged battery also varies with the speed at which the car is being driven - as is also the case with gasoline range. So if one is driving fast, your range will be diminished.

Lastly, in my experience, EVs continually monitor and adjust the range as the car is being driven. And there are multiple opportunities to charge EVs between here and Nashville, so it would seem that the driver wasn't paying attention if they actually ran out of juice.

CR Tests Show Electric Car Range Can Fall Far Short of Claims

All Cars Lose Range in Cold Weather

No matter their power source, all cars perform differently in the cold. The EPA estimates that “a conventional gasoline car’s gas mileage is roughly 15% lower at 20°F than it would be at 77°F.” But owners rarely notice much difference because we’re all accustomed to finding gas stations easily and refueling quickly.

Study: All EVs Lose Range in the Cold, Some More Than Others

CR’s Real-World EV Range Tests Show Which Models Beat EPA Estimates