Where I've seen the gas/charge time factor come into play is for those evacuating hurricanes from south Florida. The pumps are working fine, so those with gas can move north much quicker than those that have to stop in Daytona and find a charging station, then wait the <x amount of time> for the car to charge. That may not seem like a big deal, but often times, the longer it takes to get North, the worse the traffic gets.
Big picture, the Tesla has seemed like a great idea for someone that lives in SOCAL and those that live south of I-10, but the realities of cold weather and the laws of physics (and sometimes just sheer distance between towns) make them less than ideal in a lot of the country. The Prius/Volt concept seems to be a more viable option.
I like Ewan McGreggor, and I enjoyed watching Long Way Up, but it was both amusing and embarrassing to watch the show and see how everyone was BAFFLED that batteries weren't the answer when the weather is something different than what it is in LA.