"Goes down the road just fine" might simply mean it rolls straight and doesn't try to fall apart.
"Battery does not charge" might be referring to the 12v battery.
These are similar to my insight. If my insight weighed a lot more and had a CVT. Anyway, the parameters for the DC converter to charge the 12v battery are a bit (seemingly) unpredictable. As far as they're concerned, it probably isn't charging at all...so it won't, in their estimation, make a long drive.
If I thought you could handle it, I'd say go for it...Or if you just wanted it for parts...buuuut...I have no faith!
You'll be in over your head...for a 40mpg car...the math for risk vs reward tells me it isn't worth it. Unless you're sleeping with a good mechanic?
I hummed and hawed over one of these just a couple of weeks before finding my insight. Same price. So cheap I could hardly pass on it...glad I did, though I wish I'd picked it up for parts now...