10 Ways Electric Cars Are Inspiring A New Design Language (2024)

The electric car gold rush that the automotive industry is currently experiencing, has shaped the current state of design languages. Over the last decade, we've seen almost every manufacturer make drastic shifts towards more futuristic and aerodynamic cues. Evolving design languages are commonplace in the automotive industry, as cars become more advanced and aspirational, but electromobility in particular is having a noteworthy influence on the entire landscape. In keeping up with the trends, manufacturers aim to improve their cars' performance and market desirability.

The electric car design age is creating a lot of division among automotive enthusiasts. Some appreciate the forward-thinking and out-of-the-box design languages, while others argue that it stays too far from conventional cues. Regardless of what your take is, these are some ways that the new era of electric car design has completely shifted the current design language landscape.

1 The Best Drag Coefficient Figures

EVs Benefit From Sleeker Bodies

The whole point of an electric car is to drastically reduce energy consumption. Aerodynamics play a noteworthy role in achieving this, which is why we've seen some of the most aerodynamic cars released onto the market in recent years. Carmakers subject their engineers to smoothing out the exterior lines by any means, including tidying up the underbody, blending the headlights more into the fascia, and stretching out the C-pillar to create a smoother flow of air over the body.

The Most Aerodynamic Electric Cars

Manufacturers also invest hefty sums in air and wind testing to ensure that their designs are as aerodynamic as possible. They're also taking these design elements and applying them to their ICE cars in a bid to lower their fuel consumption rates so that they can adhere to the increasingly strict emission regulations, particularly in Europe. SOme of the most aerodynamic electric cars currently available in the new car market include the Lucid Air, with a 0.197 Cd rating, and the Mercedes-Benz EQS, featuring a 0.20 Cd figure.

2 New-Age LED Lighting

Safer And More Efficient Lighting Systems

LEDs and light bars appear to be an unavoidable trend that the electric car market is currently driving. They're arguably more beneficial because they consume less energy, take up less space, and shine significantly brighter than conventional halogen or Xenon bulbs. LED headlights also leave current road users divided, as they tend to blind oncoming drivers, particularly when applied to trucks and high-riding SUVs.

These systems benefit from much better longevity, meaning you'd likely never have to struggle with wear and bulb replacements. However, you can expect to pay thousands of dollars for a new unit in the event of a fault that the manufacturer's warranty doesn't cover or if it sustains damage in a collision. Experts suggest that new LED clusters cost up to $3,000 for a single unit before factoring in labor costs, but there are some examples that could cost you close to five digits.

3 Life-Saving Safety Features

EVs Push New Safety Boundaries

Electric cars and autonomy go hand-in-hand for the sake of reducing stress levels while driving and drastically improving passenger and pedestrian safety. EVs have introduced new advanced driver assist systems that cover semi-autonomous driving and stopping functions, as well as detection systems that help the driver stay more alert. Brands aren't developing these specifically for electric cars, but the two innovations certainly work hand-in-hand.

There are also some safety improvements that we hopefully never get to experience. Electric cars are substantially heavier than ICEs and feature battery packs with chemicals that can violently combust even more aggressively than gasoline. As a result, brands have optimized their EV's crash integrity to keep its users and components as secure as possible. They're also less impactful in the unfortunate event that they come into contact with a pedestrian crossing the street. Brands seamlessly incorporate this into an EV's design a bit easily, as the frontal section isn't burdened by a sizable ICE unit.

4 Electric Cars Are Much Bigger And Heavier

EV Components Are Large And Weighty

Electric drive units are more efficient and powerful, but this comes at the cost of heavier curb weights, which affects a car's overall design language. Thankfully, there is a lot of room to play with, as electric architecture typically embraces a skateboard design that keeps all the major components closer to the ground. This gives designers more freedom to create expressive visuals, but aerodynamics still have to take precedent, partly because they have to offset the heavier curb weight figures.

The Heaviest EVs

It's no secret that the electric car revolution has resulted in tragically larger car designs. Mid-size crossovers are now reaching previous-generation full-size dimensions, which is another trend that leaves a lot of consumers divided. Heavier and larger cars take up more space and have more of an impact on road wear and tear. Despite this, the majority of new car buyers tend to prefer larger designs, with safety and practicality being their biggest motivators.

5 EVs Are Embracing The Liftback Design

A Triumphant Return Of The Obscure Body Style

The liftback design was a noteworthy design trend that became popular from the early 1970s, but suffered from decreased appeal when the traditional three-box design and geometric cues became more popular in the 1980s. The liftback and fastback profile return much better aerodynamic properties, which is why so many brands are reviving the bodystyle. We see five-door hatchback configurations in the likes of the Porsche Taycan, Tesla Model S, Hyundai Ioniq 6, and more.

These are also far more practical shapes as they maximize interior and trunk spaces, making them even better for long-distance travel with the family. Considering most brands like to apply a unilateral design language across their catalog, we also see this trend filter into the ICE market.

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6 Futuristic Wheel Designs

Functional And Stylish Wheels

The OEM alloy wheel industry is one that many car enthusiasts typically overlook, but the rise of EV popularity has resulted in some impressive, obscure, and efficient designs. The wheels are a key area where designers can shave unnecessary drag off, but the challenge of making it look stylish persists. Most brands tend to blend these futuristic traits into conventional multi-spoke designs, while others fully embrace the aero disc movement inspired by some of the most successful WEC race cars.

Similar to LED lighting, the result is substantially more expensive wheel options that use more advanced materials and designs. Brands are going this route to incorporate costlier but lighter materials, more efficient and advanced production methods. Larger aerodynamic wheel designs from the likes of Tesla, Lucid, Mercedes-Benz, and others, generally cost up to $4,500 more than the standard wheel option. Brands also market optional aero wheels as more aspirational pieces of equipment, further justifying their higher starting prices.

7 Robust-Looking Off-Roaders

Designers Have The Freedom To Make Butch-Looking 4x4s

With off-roaders in particular, we are starting to see much more rugged and robust design elements that properly express feelings of freedom and adventure. Interestingly, these examples don't adhere to the sleek and aerodynamic properties of conventional electric cars, which is partly thanks to electromobility. Off-roading customers usually expect their cars to be heavier on gasoline, which sets a low standard that manufacturers have to meet. The GMC Hummer EV is a great example of this, with its relatively poor EPA energy consumption estimates.

Considering electric drive units are far more efficient, brands have more freedom to get expressive with their designs. EV SUVs also benefit from much shorter overhangs, resulting in more preferable approach and departure angles. The lack of a central differential and driveline also means that designers can maximize breakover angles, resulting in SUVs that can cover more complex obstacles. Although not directly related to the design language, EVs also benefit from higher torque outputs at lower revs and more intuitive motors, making them more capable over looser and steeper surfaces.

8 More Interior Space

Designers Can Push Interior Packaging

The lack of an engine and conventional drivetrain components means that engineers and interior designers can maximize interior space for electric cars, which is why new models as of late are able to incorporate much more headroom and legroom without having to drastically increase the roofline. This leads to sleek and dynamic cues on the outside that don't infringe on interior space. EVs are also able to push the front and rear overhangs out as far as possible, leaving more space for a flatter battery pack and lower seating, which in turn improves the car's center of gravity.

EVs With The Most Cargo Space

Furthermore, electric cars can also extend cargo capacity without needing obscure and boxy front and rear ends. The added benefit of a frunk that seamlessly fits into the hood is becoming commonplace in new car design languages and is one of the more beneficial introductions.

9 More Digital Displays

EVs Do Away With Physical Controls

Most electric car manufacturers are kitting their dashboards out with larger digital displays for several reasons. EVs incorporate more software and digital functions for the sake of improving and simplifying overall usability. They also feature much more dazzling and colorful units that uplift and modernize the entire interior setting. Some brands are taking it as far as fitting large units to the rear sections, which is a trend that was only enjoyed in the most exclusive of cars just 10 years ago.

This is another design decision that creates some division. While digital systems are more intuitive and enjoyable to use, experts and studies describe them to be very distracting to the driver as it draws attention away from the road. Brands like BMW attempt to create a blend of digital and physical controls to offset this problem, but sometimes that can result in the dashboard looking too cluttered. Some brands are recognizing that too many screens may be a problem, while others are fully embracing the movement.

10 Eco-Friendly Interior Materials

A Holistic Eco-Friendly Interior

Electric cars aim to be more eco-friendly on all fronts, but still aim to incorporate more luxurious interior materials. Conventional wood and leather are typically what more premium customers look for in a car, but these usually come at the cost of high ecological footprints. To meet the customer's standards and lower harmful consumption rates, brands are deeply invested in developing more sustainable materials through highly regenerative organic sources or recycling. While this is a good shift forward, cars like the Polestar 2 suffer from bad quality ratings, partly because of its poor in-cabin experience over extended ownership.

The result is a new kind of premium finish that steers clear of the old-fashioned hide and leather appearance and embraces cleaner and sharper elements that complement the exterior design cues. These cabins also feature much more dazzling and vibrant ambient lighting configurations in a bid to uplift the overall in-car experience.