Mobility is on the cusp of its most significant transformation in recent memory: the shift from international combustion engines (ICEs) to electric vehicles (EVs). Hastened by regional targets banning the sale of new ICEs by 2035, the change has advanced with such speed that some in the automotive industry have been caught off-guard.
Arguably, it is the design of contemporary light EVs that betrays how unprepared many automakers have been for this new era. The three-box body configuration—which accounts for the three main components: engine, passenger, and cargo—long associated with ICE coupés, sedans, and hatchbacks remains largely intact. This is despite the fact that engines need no longer factor into the design. Subsequently, many EVs are aesthetically identical to their ICE forebears.
Taking design out of the past
Ben Payne, Managing Director and Head of Studio at Lotus Tech Creative Centre, tells Automotive World that the time is right for the industry to evolve.
