Nissan Leaf Electric Vehicle Design Critique

It looks like Nissan will beat the major automakers to the market with an affordable fully electric car, the Leaf. You can read more technical specs at the Wired blog.

Design Critique

The challenge for designing a new car that has unique technology inside is whether to make it look different and unique or not. The GM Volt takes the approach to look like a modern muscle car with a large bonnet signifying a giant powerful motor within, even though it may not require such space. The Prius has a distinctive look that is now associated with being a "green" vehicle. Even the new Honda Insight looks like a Prius at a glance, although the original Insight was quite different and more aerodynamically efficient.

The Nissan Leaf resembles other new 4 door hatchbacks like the Honda Fit or Yaris, but with a few slower reverse curves as surface creases. The front hood slopes down to the bumper almost tangentially to the windshield. The allows for great visibility, but also implies that the power plant is tiny, which conveys "underpowered", which may or may not be the case. The small air vent in the front is appropriate in size since an electric motor doesn't need the amount of cooling of a combustion engine. The over sized headlights make the car look smaller because of their proportions and what we associate with typical headlight size. But why add the chrome extension behind the lamp area? It extends and complicates the headlight shape beyond what it functionally needs. The the wheel design is uninteresting, un-aerodynamic, and bland. Why can't they pick some sweet rims? The graphics on the side are fine for marketing photos, but they need to nix them for production. Where is the aerodynamics? A better shape would increase the speed and range. All of the those creases and edges don't help with that.

Full Electric Vehicles for the Future?

I think that hybrids are just a transitional stage toward full EV's like the Leaf and Tesla. Why even use a combustion engine except for long distance travel? Hundreds of parts to fabricate, lubricate, break and corrode. The next car I buy will have to be a full electric. The new Tesla is appealing. But meanwhile, my dream would be an electric AWD Subaru (because our family loves our ugly Forrester) What does it take for Detroit to wake up? Going bankrupt? ..Oh that's right, they have.