To the Editor:

One way to keep up with the energy transition is via EV spotting. Like bird watching it has a game-like quality. Also, like birds, some EVs are as common as robins while others are still relatively rare. Though EVs are still a relatively small percentage of cars on the road there are enough now that you likely pass at least one, and often more, whenever out and about. Recently I saw a Cadillac Lyric and a Lucid on the same day. Quite a spot. The Cadillac is expanding its numbers while the Lucid is a rare breed flirting with extinction in what is becoming an increasingly competitive environment. Lucid does have financial backers with pretty deep pockets so they just might make it. 

The rarest EV I have ever spotted is a Vinfast. Made by a Vietnamese company that has only recently entered the US they are now the number one car company in Vietnam and expanding rapidly overseas. With recent plans to open a plant in North Carolina delayed time will tell if they are able to adapt to our market.  

New EVs and new car companies abound in the EV world giving ample opportunity to add to your EV life list. Tesla is of course the best known, very common and distinctive making identification relatively easy. Many EVs look almost identical to their gasoline cousins. Fords F150 Lightning, GM’s Silverado, Equinox and Blazer are virtually indistinguishable from the gas versions, at least to my eye, making spotting a bit more difficult.  

One of the main clues to EV identification is the lack of a front grill. EVs don’t require cooling like a gas car. Consequently, there is no open grill. Lack of a tailpipe and associated exhaust plume is another clue. 

EVs tend to have distinctive sounds, or songs, if you will. Due to their inherent quietness a variety of sounds have been introduced so pedestrians can hear them at slow speeds. Anyone attuned to the sound of a particular EV can likely identify it without visual confirmation.  

If you are looking to get in the spotting game one of the best habitats is a charging station. If you want to learn more, many EV owners are happy to talk about their cars. You just might find your next ride. 

Scott Shipley
Hermon