[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

Traditional cars were designed their shape because it’s pretty optimized for:

1. The shape of the human body and cargo
2. Aerodynamics
3. Turning, acceleration and deceleration physics

There’s nothing inherent to an internal combustion engine that forces the shape of the car. Planes also use ICE engines. So do tanks, yachts, motorcycles and plenty of other vehicles with different shapes.