The Nissan Leaf is electric only correct? So there is no option to switch to gas like with the volt?
That is correct. Leaf is all electric with approx 90 mile range. They also make a Spark EV that has I think the same 90 mile range.
Volt is an EREV with approx 40 mile range but will fire up the gas engine to charge the batteries so no range limitation. Before buying the Volt I would have never considered an all electric but after having it for
in town use it really is fine. Driving 90 miles in a day for me in town would be darn near impossible. The days I go over the battery in the Volt it is either freezing (electric heat eats battery life which is why they tell you to remote start the car before leaving while it is plugged in) or I drove the kids to school, then to work, then lunch, then picked them up, back home, then to football practice across town, then back. In both cases the gas engine might run for 5 miles.
We do generally drive the Volt out of town though because it is so cheap and really is a great car (comfortable, quiet, drives great). It was really hard justifying jumping in our Navigator, Infiniti, BMW, etc. to go to Orlando, Panama City, wherever. when the Volt gets 40 MPG on the highway vs a dumpster fire 15. The navigator ended up sitting so much I sold it.
For a perspective on gas I can't remember the last time I filled the Volt up. It was the last time I went out of town I am sure a few months back. I filled up the massive 8 gallon tank for the first time this year April to go on a trip and hadn't filled it since November