Freed from the limitations of the internal combustion engine, designers began to envision new and better cars.
The development of electric vehicles has brought great opportunities in many fields, and from the perspective of car design, electric vehicle technology has completely changed the style of the car, for the first time in more than a century. Freed from the limitations of the internal combustion engine, designers began to envision new and better cars.
Lamborghini, which has never produced an electric car, is doing just that. In 2017, the company partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to release a new concept battery supercar, Theterzo Millennium (meaning "third millennium") using futuristic technology. Lamborghini's design director, Mitja Borkert, was involved in the development of the Mission-E (the predecessor of the Taycan) while working at Porsche.
"Lamborghini had to push boundaries, so our electric car concept had to be completely different," Borcott said, "and Terzo Millennio's four wheels are driven by independent motors, leaving enough room for designers to play on their own without having to think about the positional plausible of the drivetrain." ”
Today, electric vehicle designers are free to create the new and unique car shape depicted in science fiction. Gorden Wagener, chief design officer at Mercedes-Benz, said: "Designers have to have a vision of the future, which requires us to look for visionary and innovative design methods every day, and we create things that surprise people. ”
Reducing weight and air resistance are the primary goals of new EV designers. Sam Abuelsamid, principal analyst for the electric vehicle segment at Guidehouse Insights, said: "For electric vehicles, reducing air drag will be more important than ever, which will help maximize the range. Of course, the reduced cooling requirements for electric vehicles compared to internal combustion engines mean that traditional water tank guards are no longer needed. ”
For BMW, Alfa Romeo, Rolls-Royce and some other automakers, the water tank shroud is a unique part of their vehicles, though. That's why the BMW i3 and new iX retain the traditional double kidney tank guard, while the Tesla Model 3 without a grille front end looks extraordinary. Abul Samid said: "The most important thing for designers is how to give the car personality and brand recognition without just copying the past. ”
Until now, automakers have essentially installed batteries in existing models to produce electric vehicles, but vehicles have not been optimized for evolving platforms, sometimes without tail boxes because they want to accommodate batteries. Contemporary electric vehicles use skateboard platforms, and the reduced battery is stored under the car.
Automakers have now drastically reduced the size of their engines and controllers, and front space (frunk) has been used as a complement to the tailbox. There is also no need for traditional drive shaft channels in the car. In this way, the floor of the electric vehicle is flatter, and the interior space arrangement is more flexible.
In September, Lucid Motors unveiled the highly anticipated Lucid Air, a grille-less shape, glass roof and optimised interior space. Derek Jenkins, the company's chief designer, said: "In designing the Lucid Air, we built smaller but more powerful electric motors and significantly enhanced the encapsulation of the entire electric powertrain, creating more space and comfort for passengers. ”
Lucid Motors' next model is the Gravity SUV, and Jenkins said the design of the car will be in line with Volkswagen's taste for SUVs, but will still retain many of the design concepts of Lucid Air, and the spacious interior space design brought by electric vehicles will once again become one of the features that attract consumers.
Wen | Barron's writer Jim Jim Motavalli
Edit | Guo Liqun
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Original barronschina articles, not reproduced without permission. For the English version, see "Electric Cars Mean Automakers Can Design for the Future" on December 9, 2021.
(This article is for your informational purposes only and does not constitute the provision or reliance of investment, accounting, legal or tax advice.) ）
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