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LTLFTcomposite said:

Actually if anyone is a true EV advocate, the *worst* thing you can do is drive around conservatively in a Leaf. That will only propagate the stigma.

Better to be running with the herd, even better to be passing everything in sight.

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Well, that's your opinion, but please don't expect others to do that. Our society has been ruled for too long by those who push and shove and expect you to do what they want. Is the person on your tail going to pay you for the extra gas or kWh you use if you go faster? No, they don't care about you, they just want to get around you and continue wasting energy and polluting the air, because they are selfish and don't care that their actions cause harm to others.

You do not have to be like them. You are free to act as you wish as long as you are within the law.

Further, these people who drive aggressively and race to catch up with the faster traffic end up causing everyone to drive slower in aggregate. I've observed this behavior for a long time, and studies of traffic patterns bear out my conclusions. The speeding and tailgating cause jams when someone has to brake, and since people are going fast too close to the car in front, they all have to brake, causing everyone to come to a stop. Then the process repeats itself a little farther along as the lead cars speed up when the traffic moves, and everyone tries to catch up. However, if you drive a reasonable 60 mph, allowing lots of room in front, your need to brake at all is almost eliminated. I once drove 28 miles from Long Beach to Santa Monica on the 405 (arguably the busiest freeway in the U.S.) at rush hour and I only had to brake once. There was a lot of luck in that no one stopped too hard in front of me, but I can assure you I got maximum efficiency that day. And I wasn't more than a few minutes slower than those who started in Long Beach with me.

We, as a nation, need to reduce energy use. And the energy we use should be renewable and clean. This is why I sell solar and electric cars. Getting an EV is a huge step for all of us in this direction, but I urge you to consider how your driving impacts the traffic flow for everyone else. It's likely you are throwing kWh away when you join the herd and their aggressive driving styles.

I agree 100%! Driving is an art.
I've always been very good at getting high MPG with my ICEs, coasting as much as I could, planning traffic ahead... at almost 120k mi on my Dodge RAM still have 1/2 of the original break pads left.

Since getting the Leaf that's become ever more important. I try to do the speed limit and it's been amazing how they try to run me over when doing the speed limit, especially in 25mph zones, people want to do more and get angry... riding up to my rear bumper and passing aggressively.

The funniest thing is that in city traffic we always meet up at the lights and I zip right by ... I'm doing the speed limit but people step on the gas to pass me ... then I wave bye bye as I pass them at the next light.