The future of electric car design has yet to be written
At its heart, the car industry remains a deeply conservative one
Author laments that we're getting so many funky electric concept cars that will never be built, and yet so many mundane, ultra-conservative production cars that look like somebody took a generic SUV and swapped in an electric powertrain.
Selected highlights:
“I came to Paris looking for the future of electric car design, but all I’ve been able to find are a few lovely fantasies and a lot of staid continuity. What’s missing from the world of car design today is any sort of middle ground.”
“My view from the Paris show floor is that carmakers are, at their core, extremely conservative.”
“No need to rethink the entire vehicle architecture if you can just swap one drive system for another. Few people get fired for an overabundance of caution, after all.”
“Batteries need cooling, yes, but an EV doesn’t strictly require a front grille (as evidenced by the Tesla Model 3). I asked Hermann about this, and he reiterated the point that car companies—or his company, at least—have to give consumers something familiar.” And furthermore… “That’s also probably why the power sockets on most EVs are in about the same places and covered by the same flaps as fuel caps of yore.”
“And yet, I think the primary reason Tesla exists and continues to enjoy a passionate following is because of this evident gap in creativity from the established carmakers.” … “And the thing is, all of this is possible for the older brands to do as well — if they had the courage.”
I might add, from my own perspective, that even Tesla seems innovative only in comparison to these stick-in-the-mud established car companies. Set a Tesla next to an Aptera or a Tango, and then the Tesla suddenly looks like the boring fuddy-duddy car.
At its heart, the car industry remains a deeply conservative one
Author laments that we're getting so many funky electric concept cars that will never be built, and yet so many mundane, ultra-conservative production cars that look like somebody took a generic SUV and swapped in an electric powertrain.
Selected highlights:
“I came to Paris looking for the future of electric car design, but all I’ve been able to find are a few lovely fantasies and a lot of staid continuity. What’s missing from the world of car design today is any sort of middle ground.”
“My view from the Paris show floor is that carmakers are, at their core, extremely conservative.”
“No need to rethink the entire vehicle architecture if you can just swap one drive system for another. Few people get fired for an overabundance of caution, after all.”
“Batteries need cooling, yes, but an EV doesn’t strictly require a front grille (as evidenced by the Tesla Model 3). I asked Hermann about this, and he reiterated the point that car companies—or his company, at least—have to give consumers something familiar.” And furthermore… “That’s also probably why the power sockets on most EVs are in about the same places and covered by the same flaps as fuel caps of yore.”
“And yet, I think the primary reason Tesla exists and continues to enjoy a passionate following is because of this evident gap in creativity from the established carmakers.” … “And the thing is, all of this is possible for the older brands to do as well — if they had the courage.”
I might add, from my own perspective, that even Tesla seems innovative only in comparison to these stick-in-the-mud established car companies. Set a Tesla next to an Aptera or a Tango, and then the Tesla suddenly looks like the boring fuddy-duddy car.
