[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/electric-cars-need-to-be-cooler-to-become-popular\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/electric-cars-need-to-be-cooler-to-become-popular\/","headline":"Electric Cars Need To Be Cooler To Become Popular","name":"Electric Cars Need To Be Cooler To Become Popular","description":"Is electric car design holding back the growth of the EV market? There are many reasons why electric cars haven\u2019t become mainstream yet; they\u2019re expensive, range can be limited, there\u2019s not enough choice and so on. But are we overlooking one major factor in why they\u2019re yet to take over the roads? Perhaps…they\u2019re just not good-looking enough. When it comes to EVs that genuinely look \u2018cool\u2019, you can name almost all of them on one hand. Electric cars deserve better […]","datePublished":"2019-05-17","dateModified":"2019-05-17","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Nissan-leaf-feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Nissan-leaf-feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/electric-cars-need-to-be-cooler-to-become-popular\/","about":["Cars","ELECTRIC CARS","LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":667,"keywords":["BMW i3","electric cars","EVs","nissan leaf","Volkswagen e-Golf"],"articleBody":"Is electric car design holding back the growth of the EV market? There are many reasons why electric carshaven\u2019t become mainstream yet; they\u2019re expensive, range can be limited, there\u2019snot enough choice and so on. But are we overlooking one major factor in whythey\u2019re yet to take over the roads? Perhaps…they\u2019re just not good-lookingenough. When it comes to EVs that genuinely look \u2018cool\u2019, you can name almost all of them on one hand. Electric cars deserve better than being described as \u2018cute ugly\u2019, we need some absolute stunners.EVs stand out, but not everyone wants thatFor some reason, part of the car industry hasmade electric vehicles into something of a gimmick. Rather than EVs naturallybeing implemented into the system as \u2018just another car\u2019, they\u2019ve been designedto stand out and look like they\u2019re at odds with current car design and the restof the cars on the road. The big question here is why can\u2019t they just look\u2018normal\u2019? Odd-looking \u2018aero\u2019 alloy wheels, blue accents all around the car, weird grilles, skinny wheels and ugly shapes are all common denominators when it comes to electric cars.One of the most popular EVs in the UK, the Nissan Leaf, has seen a drastic design change which has made the car look much more \u2018normal\u2019 and conventional. The first gen Leaf looked like a tyre bubble crossed with some Croc shoes whereas the second gen Leaf just looked like an ordinary and respectable family car. It seems that one of the largest car manufacturers in the world has had a change of heart when it comes to releasing EVs with unconventional designs, and we can only hope more follow suit. If only BMW could take a leaf out of Nissan\u2019s book (see what we did there?) and de-radicalise the design of their otherwise fantastic i3. ICE cars should also come in an EV optionManufacturers are treating electric vehicles as a completely different type of transport, when they should be treating them like another engine option. Where they offer petrol and diesel options of various engine sizes, why not also offer an electric option as well? Why is it that electric models are usually completely standalone when at the end of the day, they\u2019re just cars powered by other means? Volkswagen\u2019s e-Golf is a perfect example of how ordinary cars can also be offered in electric spec, as is the soon-to-release 2019 Peugeot e-208. Both of which take existing car designs and remove the petrol or diesel engine and install electric batteries and motors instead. It\u2019s not quite as simple as a swap job as EV batteries usually go underneath the car rather than where an engine would go, but if VW and Peugeot are able to do it, why can\u2019t more manufacturers follow suit?  Jaguar\u2019s I-PACE electric SUV is another good example of how to create an EV that doesn\u2019t conflict with design norms. The I-PACE looks very similar to its siblings, the F-PACE and I-PACE, both of which are only available with petrol and diesel engines. The all-electric I-PACE doesn\u2019t have any blue highlights, it doesn\u2019t have a weird-looking grille and in summary, it doesn\u2019t scream and shout about it being fully electric. Most people won\u2019t even be able to tell and that\u2019s the beauty of the car. The I-PACE does everything right which is exactly why it\u2019s won the 2019 World Car of the Year, World Car Design of the Year and World Green Car awards. People that drive their car because they lovehow they look – sports car owners, luxury coupe owners and flashy SUV owners –these people currently have a very limited range of electric cars to choosefrom. BMW, Mercedes, Audi and JLR currently have a very limited line-up ofelectric cars and because of this, the electric market is missing out onmillions of potential customers. "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Electric Cars Need To Be Cooler To Become Popular","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/electric-cars-need-to-be-cooler-to-become-popular\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]