[ELI5] Why do electric cars have a similar shape to regular cars when they don’t need to?

Question

I’ve always wondered why electric cars are designed to resemble regular cars so closely, even though they don’t require the same components like the internal combustion engine. It seems like this would be an opportunity to create a more practical and efficient design. Can someone explain why electric cars are shaped the way they are?

In: 7

Answer 1

There’s a ton of regulations around the world that must be complied with.

There’s laws on the position/color of headlights, the heights of bumpers, the angles of windshields, accessibility concerns, seatbelt placements, airbags, where license plates go, the positions for mirrors, pedestrian crash safety, crumple zones, rollover safety, overall width, fender coverage of tires, etc.

The Volkswagen XL1 is a perfect example of manufacturers being able to do it, but not being able to make it compliant with all the regulations, which is why it was only available in a few markets.