Since it's fairly light, scale it down a bit and combine it with a regular electric hybrid system. Some components could be shared. Hard braking spins up the KERS, light braking charges the battery (and any ratio in between). Same goes for acceleration. Turn off the car and any remaining KERS motion charges the battery.
For bonus points: let me plug the car in to an outlet for 30 seconds to spin up the KERS system to 100% before I leave.

Most millennials live with their suburb loving parents way out of reach of usable public transport. They WILL need a car if they want a job. there really isn't any way around it.

re: tire pressure. Ford transit connect calls for 49 psi in the rear. (36 front)
I guess if you average them the model S still wins :)

(Apparently you can't type the 'less than' symbol on here)

...running at less than 2000 RPM at 60 helps a lot. the 6MT has terrible gearing. They could have at least made 6th a long gear.

Lifetime average of 47.1 in my 2011 CVT. About 50/50 city/hwy. The only time I see under 40 is on very short trips in the cold. Just working with the IMA system a little will make the numbers explode. And running at

Clearly John Broder has been sabotaging the seats...
Seriously though, I was just a bit surprised, that's all.

I am really surprised at the seat issues. Of everything I've owned I rate the CR-Z seats #2, behind the OE Recaros in my STi. Unless they changed the seats from 2011 to 2013, or the UK seats are different? They are better than: 07 Fit, 99 Civic Si, Transit Connect that I've spent as much time in.
Maybe you're too bony?

Not entirely true. No battery, be it Li-Ion or Ni-Mh can recapture energy effectively if you are a hard braker.

With a 50 mile round trip the cost of a Leaf will never be justified. What do the charge-at-work crew do when they arrive at work then get a call their kid/wife is sick, or the office is closed for some reason? Beg a coworker for their car? Call a taxi to take them 50 miles home?

It's the range!

If your round trip to work is 50 miles, fuel costs are already negligible, and you have 15+ choices of affordable 40+ mpg (combined) cars with no range limits.
After a few years you'll be down as much as 20% capacity. Will every drive home become a white knuckler?

With an EPA range of 200+ you know you're good regardless of what happens. In 7 years I could still make it home without worrying, even if defog/wipers/lights were needed during a rain storm with a 30 MPH head wind. And you would only need to charge to 80%, while also having fewer deep discharges, extending the battery life even longer.