With only about 120 miles between recharges, the more limited range of electric vehicles is the single biggest issue in convincing people to buy and use the environmentally cleaner electric cars. But the range issue diminishes when people understand their own day-to-day travel behavior and learn more about how electric vehicles might fit into their lifestyles, according to a recent study by UC Davis researchers. The results suggest that electric cars may become much more popular among consumers than previously believed. For the first time, the study established that home recharging (compared to refueling at a gas station) was an especially attractive feature of electric cars. "Plugging in at home seems like a big bonus to women especially and may be more important than the range of the car," says UC Davis graduate student Tom Turrentine. "More women use the home as a hub than men, many don't like service stations, and they seem to be on tighter time budgets." The study also showed that the batteries most preferred by people are likely to be less expensive batteries with a 100-mile range, rather than a more expensive "superbattery" of the future that may cruise for more than 200 miles. The study is part of a three-year project designed to evaluate the market for electric and natural gas vehicles. The paper will be presented by UC Davis graduate student Tom Turrentine in session No. 129 at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 12, at the Hilton.