Stop calling them “Electric Cars”

Updated 05 July 2024 — Grammar and spelling improvements.

We hear the term Electric Vehicle (or EV) a lot these days. But is that really the right term to use when referring to a Tesla, or a Rivian, or a Nissan Leaf?

To answer that question we’ll look at how we use the term “Electric” for a few other common items:

Pictured here are two common workshop tools. Most commonly, the one on the Left is referred to as an “Electric Drill”, and the one on the Right as a “Cordless Drill”.

If someone asked you to hand them one or the other, I am pretty confident that the majority of readers could easily select the right tool if the above terminologies were used.

But which one is most similar to that Tesla or Rivian? The Electric Drill — and far more commonly than not for almost everything we refer to as an “Electric” tool or appliance — must be plugged into an Electric Socket (“Mains”) in order to work. However, the drill on the Right is used more similarly to what we have been calling an “Electric” car. It is charged up ahead of time, and is then moved around and used without being connected to an external source of electricity.

The cordless drill, of course, has one huge advantage over a Tesla or Rivian – When the battery in the cordless drill runs down, you can quickly and easily swap in a charged one. You can even charge one battery while using the other – making the cordless drill – Practical. Yes, there are some very low-end cordless drills where the battery cannot be easily removed and charged separately, but no serious carpenter, handyman, or workshop tinkerer would ever want one.

Even more similarly to the way a Tesla or Chevy Bolt is used, let us consider the modern Mobile Phone or so-called “Smart Phone”. We charge it – often overnight while we sleep — and when we use it during the day, it is running from the internal and not easily replaceable Lithium Ion battery. If we use it a lot, or it’s batteries are not that fresh any more, we may need to charge it for a short time to get us through the day — perhaps at a charging station at a trendy café. However, if you call that fancy new iPhone 15 or Samsung Fold an “Electric Phone”, you are going to get some seriously strange looks. Why is it perfectly normal to refer to a car that is powered, and recharged exactly the same way as the phone – as “Electric”, but considered weird or possibly even insane, to refer to the mobile phone using the same terminology?

Searching on Target’s website for Electric Vacuum exclusively got me things with a power cord, and none that used or contained a battery.

I can go on ad-nauseam with this – Doing a quick Google search for “Electric Can Opener” overwhelmingly returned plug-in can openers, and just a few hand-held battery operated can openers. Searching for “Battery Can Opener” got me the hand-held units, and only 1 or 2 plug-in devices on the 1^st page.

…But those things are completely different. They aren’t Vehicles…

OK… Bear with me for one more: The term “Electric Train” is also commonly used to distinguished them from trains propelled by a Diesel powered locomotive. Just like that Rivian or Nissan Leaf, trains are vehicles, and the electric power is primarily used to make them move. However, in almost all cases, “Electric Train” refers to trains that are powered from the electric grid via overhead lines or a 3^rd rail. Battery powered trains do exist, but they are only used in special (and very rare) circumstances, and generally not used to transport members of the public. Use of the term “Electric Train” overwhelmingly refers to trains that run from a constant (or nearly constant) external source of power.

Using “wrong” or “alternative” terms is common these days in an attempt to make something distasteful sound more appealing. I’ll steer clear of the politics of even mentioning any such terms, but no matter what side you take on a particular issue or situation, I’m sure you’ve at least noticed the other side doing this.

“Battery Car” is avoided because it has negative connotations. It sounds like you are describing a toy, or some of the very early attempts at cars propelled by a DC motor powered from a battery.

I want to be very clear on something here. I am not opposed to Electric Cars – If they actually existed. An Electric motor – powered from the electric grid – is extremely efficient. I’m certainly not going to argue that the New York Subway system is a “Fad”. Nor am I going to deny the practicality of Electric Trams that have been in use in many European city’s since the late 1800’s. If there were a safe and efficient way to provide electric power to the roadways of America (or the World) Electric Cars would unquestionably be the “Way to Go”. But for the mean time, let’s stop playing word games. If we call a car that uses Gasoline (Petrol) as it’s immediate and local source of Energy — a Gas (or Petrol) Powered Car, let’s call a car that uses a Battery as it’s on board source of Energy – Exactly that – A Battery Powered Car.

Related Article: The EV Article I Didn’t Write