BMW iX

[Hehe]

Originally Posted by SkinnyPupp

So what would a "grounds up" EV look like then? Really long and low to the ground? A giant donut with a seat in the middle? What are you thinking of here?

The idea is that they need to embrace the characteristics of EV:

Low center of gravity (skateboard with batteries)
Weight (batteries, pending some revolutionary tech, are going to be heavy)
Aerodynamic (crucial because every bit counts, it's +or- 1% here and there... but when you add everything up, it can be make it or break it point)
Much fewer parts from tens of thousands to hundreds
No more transmission components that go through the middle of car (again, skateboard)

By taking these points, a designer should start looking what need to be taken OUT of a car design rather than what go in to fit.

Grill is out. Drag needs to be minimized. You don't even really need axles (Rivian I believe runs 4 independent motors to move each wheel). So, it's possible that the shape no longer needs to be a "H" form to be optimal. It was something optimal for ICE, but EV can go beyond that. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if someone came up with a design that's like BB-8 droid (wheel/s only at the bottom with the cabin on top). That gives you an idea how wild things can run for EV.

[!LittleDragon]

You're not taking into account pedestrian safety. Current cars have high noses so pedestrians land on the hood instead of scooping them up and over the car. Cybertruck looks like it can sheer off someone's arm at 2mph with those sharp corners. Safety isn't just about vehicle to vehicle impact.

[Hehe]

Originally Posted by !LittleDragon

You're not taking into account pedestrian safety. Current cars have high noses so pedestrians land on the hood instead of scooping them up and over the car. Cybertruck looks like it can sheer off someone's arm at 2mph with those sharp corners. Safety isn't just about vehicle to vehicle impact.

I'm not suggesting CT is perfect. I was just saying that EVs, being so different than their ICE counterparts no longer need to be bounded by the design principles of ICE cars. You can achieve similar safety requirements by taking those points in I'm sure. But right now, they are just being lazy... because they have been doing it certain way for almost 100yrs... and they never thought about doing it some other way.

The most costly few words in business: we have been doing this way forever.

[!LittleDragon]

Mid engine cars have absolutely no need for such a long hood, just enough for some mechanicals like steering and some electronics but they still have decently long front ends. It's something relatively soft for pedestrians to land on.

Maybe after 100 years, that's what they settled on as the best compromise? The most efficient shape is obviously the airplane wing but someone likely won't survive being hit by one of those. You also won't be able to fit much in the back. Today's car designs are a compromise for everything after decades of trying various designs. Practicality, safety and efficiency.

I don't think you're going to see major changes to shapes of cars change until there's massive advancements in material sciences. What propels it isn't big enough of a change, it's still a big hunk of metal. Being electric can arguably more dangerous because there's a lot more mass carrying more momentum making it harder to stop quickly.