EL Spotting in Illinois

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IrvingHarlem

Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
Messages
15
Location
Chicago, IL
Our all electric vehicle license plates end in EL. Here's a place to talk about the other electric or hybrid vehicles you've seen on the road. Hopefully, someday there will be so many of us that we won't bother. But now it's fun to know who is out there.

I was honored to receive plate number 1594 EL within a month of buying my car. Maybe you'll spot me on the north side of Chicago.

Last week I noticed I was following 1104 EL near Austin & Montrose and looked up and saw it was a grey Nissan Leaf. Then, two days later around Hamlin & Montrose I noticed I was following a Tesla Model S. Considering it's price tag I'm surprised the body wasn't more impressive.
 
What did you expect? I think the S body is gorgeous. And you are paying a good portion of it for that 85KWh battery...

IrvingHarlem said:
I was following a Tesla Model S. Considering it's price tag I'm surprised the body wasn't more impressive.
 
EL plate spotting is spread out a lot on this long running thread ... 142 pages but you'll find many mentions including IL plate '1 EL' along with a photo of guess what EV that has it ...?

read through and you'll find a lot of us throughout IL from the 'early' days

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=357&start=1410

seems to be more Tesla's than LEAF's as of late in the NW 'burbs of Chicago, nothing higher than a 1600 EL plate (yet) but we have to be getting close
 
Not too many EVs here on the northwest side. There's a th!nk in the neighborhood, often occupying the A/V charger at Wright College (haven't noticed if it has an EL plate). I've seen two silver or grey Leafs around Montrose and Austin- the same one you mentioned and one in the 900s- and that's about it. Teslas I see in Bucktown and downtown but not around here. I drive a 2013 Focus, easy to miss as an EV unless you notice the plate, but I'm sure you'll see me before long if you're at Irving and Harlem.
 
Well, I met Jesse White at an election night rally for Gov. Quinn -- I told him how much I liked him, but I begged him to please, please change the Illinois EV license plate because it is so ugly! He laughed and asked what the plate was (omg!!!), then ordered his aide to come over to discuss it, which we did. I told the aide about it and asked can't they put a cool lightning bolt or something on it? I told him I'd even design it for free.... LOL. Who knows, maybe someone will take a second look. Illinois has some super cool plate designs, for every cause under the sun -- but the EV plate, black letters, white background, nothing else, looks like it was designed either as a complete afterthought, or by someone who absolutely hates the idea of electric vehicles.... Sheesh.
 
IrvingHarlem said:
Our all electric vehicle license plates end in EL...

Actually forgot to mention it, but this statement is actually incorrect as the plate is optional, not mandatory as I've seen a number of LEAF's and some Tesla's with either a special series plate (Environmental, Route 66, etc.) or simply just a 'normal' standard one. The EL series can however be only assigned to an EV and the number of cars registered was only up to about the 240 to 250 mark when the LEAF finally arrived in IL. The early plates were primarily assigned to converted EV's and the few Tesla roadsters that were around. The plates are relatively 'cheap' at $18 year so perhaps the SOS office doesn't want to spend anything to set them apart ... A redesign would up the price perhaps so fine with being plain by me !!
 
Saw a Tesla S with 603EL today in the southwest burbs.

I still like my EN plates (see signature) they get a lot of compliments
 
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