In a world where sustainability is running on everyone’s mind, and the consumption of fossil fuels is quite literally looked down upon – Electric vehicles have been slowly and steadily taking over the world! Electric vehicles ditch the age-old fossil fuels and instead run on large traction battery packs which are in turn powered via charging equipment. They may not run on engines, but they still manage to be sleek, swift, and powerful. And, we’ve curated a collection of EV designs that we felt were the best of the lot! From a bold reimagined DeLorean EV to a transforming electric vehicle that goes from a two-wheel e-bike to a self-balancing unicycle – these innovative and groundbreaking automotives promise to be the future of urban commute and automobiles!
1. DMC DeLorean EV
This iconic car is in fact all set to hit the limelight on August 18, 2022, at the prestigious Awards Ramp at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. From what we see in the teaser image, the EV is going to follow the norm with a modern silhouette and this concept gives our imagination wings. If we ignore the rear that looks more akin to the Bugatti Chiron, the EV could be pretty similar to what we see in these renders. A bold form factor with an intimidating front could be on the cards. The side profile has to be sharp and flowing with a supercar-like domineer but slightly bend towards the coupe persona too.
2. 2023 Subaru Solterra EV
This is the first-ever pure electric vehicle in Subaru’s line-up. The EV is powered by the 72.8-kWh lithium-ion battery pack sitting between the axles, generating 215 horsepower and 249 pound-feet of torque. The car goes from 0-60 mph in just 6.5 seconds flat which is good considering this is an EV. Solterra has a very low center of gravity and soft suspension which makes it a bit jittery while tackling tight corners. The silver lining here though is the high ground clearance of 8.3 inches and the multiple levels of regenerative braking which is controlled via the paddles mounted on the steering wheel.
3. 2022 Nissan Ariya EV
Nissan’s design brief for this car was ‘Timeless Japanese Futurism’ which allowed the design team to tap into key Japanese words to inspire their global design team to create the Ariya’s exterior, words like sleek, sharp, and seamless. The overall design is definitely futuristic, but the most appealing part of its exterior for me is the front grille, which looks like a traditional grille but packs some stand-out features. Nissan instead calls their grille a ‘shield,’ as it shields hi-tech cameras, radar, and sensors that assist with the car’s self-driving system and ACC.
4. The Zeva Zero
The Zeva Zero definitely looks more like a flying saucer than a flying car, even if the goals and some of the technologies are similar to other attempts at making personal transport vehicles that traverse the skies to avoid earth-bound traffic. For one, it utilizes vertical take-off and landing, a.k.a. VTOL, more similar to a helicopter than an airplane. On the one hand, this has the benefit of saving parking space, so to speak, because the flying saucer launches and lands in an upright position, contrary to what you’d expect from a flying disc. This even has the advantage of allowing the Zeva Zero to “dock” vertical against walls of buildings with a system that the startup calls the SkyDock.
5. DeLorean E
This concept rendering by transportation designer Onkar H takes a dig at what a DeLorean of the future will be like. Of course, it has to be electric to stand a chance of longevity in the closely contested automotive market that’s going through a metamorphosis for an electric vehicle-dominated near future. An electric DeLorean E powered by 4 high-performance motors and a mid-mounted battery pack is what the passionate fans will take with both hands. After all, it kills two birds with one stone – owning a classic piece of history that doesn’t sound alienated in the EV landscape.
6. Titaa
Titaa is a dual-purpose, electric vehicle that can transform from a two-wheel e-bike into a self-balancing unicycle. While riding manual unicycles might be too much of a learning curve for most, self-balancing, electric unicycles sound more like something we could all get behind. Titaa, a unicycle with just those sorts of mechanics, conceptualized by Husky Design is a dual-purpose, modular vehicle that can transform from a bicycle into a self-balancing unicycle.
7. Audi Urbansphere
This luxurious EV concept riding on 24-inch rims is tailored for a progressive mobility era where level 4 autonomous driving will be more than a common thing, and the digitally dominated cabin space takes a detour to a more communal and open design. It’s no surprise the Urbansphere has seatbacks capable of 60 degrees recline and an extendable footrest means the occupants ride in utmost luxury. Audi is planning to add a large format and transparent OLED screen which pivots vertically down from the glass roof to divide the two seating rows just like a taxi divider.
8. The IBO
The IBO’s mood board includes the Avant-garde architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, especially the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, which defied architectural standards with its unique spiral shape. The continuous and clean lines “represent the resurgence of the American automobile of the eighties,” says automotive designer Ángel Álvarez from IBO’s design team. The IBO shatters perceptions that a good, dependable pickup should look edgy like a Cybertruck, and instead opts for slick, curved surfaces – think Baymax, but a car.
9. Evanora
Christened ‘Evanora’ or Greek for ‘gift from the gods’, Dhanak’s concept falls in line with Lotus’ tradition of naming their vehicles beginning with the letter E. Dhanak’s approach towards designing the car deviates from the standard practice of taking a top-down approach. While most car designers have an internal framework pretty much ready, they always start with the outside and work their way in. Dhanak, on the other hand, designed an outer structure to complement the inner structure. The skeletal bodywork you see was designed to clad just the chassis, resulting in an aesthetic that’s quite literally as minimal as it gets.
10. The Polestar O2
The Polestar O2 capitalizes on a rising trend that’s been set by self-driving cars. Sure, the O2 isn’t a self-driving concept, but just the way self-driving cars have redefined what sitting inside an automobile means (you’re not a passenger anymore – you’re a traveler in a moving room), the O2 has shifted the focus from driving to ‘enjoying driving’. The Polestar O2, announced just today, isn’t your average EV… it’s an EV that wants you to be in the driver’s seat as well as the director’s seat. The car comes with a companion drone stashed in its boot that deploys on command, filming you from flattering angles so that you’re quite literally the star of your own Fast and Furious film.
