Why Are So Many Electric Vehicle Designs Unique & Divisive?

Breaking with conventions has a tendency to split opinions, and whilst this is true throughout the motoring industry and has been since time immemorial, it is remarkably common for electric vehicles to spark debate not just for what they can do but what powers them.

EVs typically have different requirements when it comes to size, space and layout compared to petrol-powered cars, due to the nature of the batteries and electronic raw materials used to make them.

However, whilst many EVs look similar or even mostly identical to their petrol or diesel versions, others will sport a drastically different appearance, which can be not only a matter of necessity but also one of choice.

Why do EVs look so different? Why are they so divisive? Is that debate beneficial or harmful to the market? And as EVs become more common thanks to initiatives such as the Electric Car Grant, will they continue to be stylistic iconoclasts?

Do Electric Vehicles Need To Look Different?

The first reason is a matter of necessity; electric vehicles have the same function as other cars, but internally are very different, which often requires them to be laid out in a different way.

Because batteries tend to be bulkier than fuel tanks in order to maintain a comparable level of range, the battery packs tend to make the car heavier, which places a lot more emphasis on weight distribution to ensure a safe, comfortable and economic drive.

As well as this, whilst air intake and cooling capabilities are less important compared to a petrol engine, aerodynamics are more important to maximise fuel economy.

This is the reason why the GM EV1 has its unusual body shape; its teardrop coupe design helped to minimise aerodynamic drag whilst also providing a way to store the huge batteries in a way that would not affect steering.

Whilst many modern EVs do not look quite as drastically different, they still often tend to be taller and heavier to provide enough space for the battery packs on the underside of the car without compromising cabin space.

Are All Electric Vehicles Trying To Be Cars?

Another aspect of why EVs look so different is that they are not always attempting to replicate existing cars but transform transportation as we know it.

In particular, tiny EVs such as the Zagato Zele, Scottish Aviation Scamp and especially the Sinclair C5 were designed with an expectation that they would be bought as part of a two-car household.

Drivers would have a primary, typically petrol-powered car for long-distance journeys, but a small city car or urban runaround would allow them to travel short distances far more affordably.

Whilst this was the best utilisation of what was limited battery technology, it ultimately struggled to win over existing drivers, in part because of the implication that one had to own, tax and service two road-going vehicles, but also because cars like the Reva G-Wiz and Citroen Ami tend to look relatively unusual.

Do Some Cars Choose To Look Divisive?

The tiny city car EVs are unusual by necessity; they tend to be designed around regulatory requirements, and their tiny dimensions mean that there will always be compromises in how they look.

However, one element of EV design that is profoundly fascinating is that some designers will take the electronic focus of EVs and design cars that intentionally stand out and look conspicuous amongst the rest of the automotive market.

This can sometimes be a matter of marketing; halo cars have been used for decades as a marketing tool to emphasise certain desirable aspects of a particular car and to maintain a connection to their core customers and roots as designers.

Whilst historically these tended to be very powerful, fast and technologically advanced, such as the Honda NSX, Nissan Skyline GT-R, the Lexus LFA and Ferrari F40, they can also highlight other powerful elements of the brand.

Toyota positioned itself as green and technologically advanced by emphasising the Prius, whilst VW relied on the revived Beetle and later the ill-fated Phaeton to appeal to the roots of the Volkswagen brand and to create an upmarket, luxurious image, respectively.

In electric vehicles, the Renault 5 and Hyundai N Vision 74 look extremely unique by leaning into retrofuturism, shaping the future through inspiration from how the past envisioned it.

By contrast, there was also the infamous Tesla Cybertruck, which was intentionally designed to look like no other car on the market, garnering praise and outright scorn in the process.

Unfortunately, it also highlighted the pitfalls of prioritising unique design language, as the Cybertruck was notorious for its technical issues caused by its design and the many recalls that resulted from this.