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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ICE cars are not shaped the way they are due to being an ICE car. You have cars with loads of various configurations for the placement of their engines. In front of the front axle, over the front axle, between the front and rear axle, over the rear axle and even behind the rear axle. Some have the engines tall and slender to fit into their spaces while others have them low and wide, typically to fit under the floor. I have even seen busses and campers with their engines stuffed into a tall closet so what looks like maybe a toilet is actually the engine at an odd angle.
The shape of the car is therefore not determined by the engine or the driveline. Instead the shape is made to be as aerodynamic, ergonomic, safe, spacious and with good handling. The location of larger components like the engine, gearbox, batteries, etc. is decided after the general shape of the car is determined. So the cars are shaped without much regard for what kind of propulsion system they will have.
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