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?
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1) Marketing – despite Elon’s often rash behavior he’s gotta build a product that’s within the general parameters of what people expect a car to be for it to sell. There have been many auto entrepreneurs that broke that rule and died – look up Bricklin, Dymaxion, Tucker, Colani….
2) As a technology evolves it generally reaches a “proper” configuration that works for most people. Think about a desk telephone, calculator, kitchen knife, sofa…. Occasionally there are revolutionary new ideas that break the mold and ADD TO the original functionality. Generally it’s agreed that car steering wheels are a good control system, 4 wheels are a stable platform, storage/technology compartments at the ends are easy to access and protect the passenger compartment in the middle. etc.
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