Why Electric Cars Can't Look Like Electric Cars

EVs could be designed in wild new ways—but U.S. car safety laws written for gas cars keep them stuck in the past.

I recently read a New York Times article called 🙄 “Make Cars Beautiful Again.” It made a simple point: even though electric vehicles (EVs) could be designed in radically different ways, they aren’t—because U.S. safety regulations were written for cars with giant gas engines from the 1920s.

Think about it:

EVs don’t need front grilles.
They don’t need massive hoods.
Motors can be tucked under the floor or attached to each wheel.

So… why does my neighbor’s Tesla still look like a Honda Civic cosplaying as a spaceship?

Internal combustion engines dictated the classic car look: long hoods, grilles for airflow, transmission tunnels down the middle. They’re big, hot, centralized machines that need a lot of structural support.

Electric motors are tiny, cool-running, and flexible. You could design cars like Lego sets: motors near the wheels, batteries under the floor, cabins pushed forward. The design language could have changed overnight. But it hasn’t.

Electric motors: small, flexible, everywhere. Imagine the design freedom.

No giant engine block = no excuses. EVs could be anything.

Design unlocked: motors at the wheels, batteries under the floor.

Electric motors: small, flexible, everywhere. Imagine the design freedom.

No giant engine block = no excuses. EVs could be anything.

Design unlocked: motors at the wheels, batteries under the floor.

Electric motors: small, flexible, everywhere. Imagine the design freedom.

No giant engine block = no excuses. EVs could be anything.

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Why Amazon’s Trucks Look Different?!

Look at Amazon’s electric delivery trucks. They don’t have the fake car nose. They look different because they fall under different regulations than passenger cars. Freed from bumper-height laws written for 1970s Buicks, their design is optimized for aerodynamics, efficiency, and cargo space.

Amazon’s trucks prove the point: when you aren’t forced to design around a phantom gas engine, the possibilities open up.

Amazon-style EV delivery truck: No fake grille, optimized for cargo and efficiency

Commercial EV with purpose-built design: Function drives form when regulations allow

Electric delivery vehicle: Freed from passenger car bumper height laws

Purpose-built EV: When you're not forced to design around phantom gas engines

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The Regulatory Framework (Cage?)

Here’s the problem: U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) were designed around gas-powered cars. They assume:

A big metal block up front to absorb crashes.
Crumple zones shaped for a long hood.
Bumper heights for cars with fuel tanks and radiators.
Headlights placed around a fake grille.

If you want to design a car that looks nothing like that, too bad. You’ll fail tests that were written for a completely different machine.

It’s kinda like forcing Apple to design the iPhone with a fake rotary dial because the law still assumes phones connect through copper wires.

Beyond conventional styling: EVs designed for purpose, not regulations

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The Bigger Picture

This isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about how old rules can trap new technology. EVs are stuck cosplaying as gas cars because regulators wrote laws for yesterday’s machines and never updated them.

Amazon trucks show us what happens when you break free: the design suddenly makes sense. Function drives form. Progress becomes visible.

So the next time you see a Tesla grille, remember: you’re not looking at a design choice. You’re looking at a fossilized regulation.

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Why Electric Cars Can't Look Like Electric Cars

Why Amazon’s Trucks Look Different?!

The Regulatory Framework (Cage?)

The Bigger Picture

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Why Electric Cars Can't Look Like Electric Cars

Why Amazon’s Trucks Look Different?!

The Regulatory Framework (Cage?)

The Bigger Picture

Further Readings

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