GRIDSERVE reveals electric car ‘blueprint’ to create the ultimate EV

There are over 780,000 EVs on the road today with the most popular models often family SUVs from brands such as Tesla and BMW or more affordable, smaller cars like the Cupra Born or MG4.

You might think these are all very different but, in fact, they share a lot beyond the electric power, often using smooth, sleek designs to optimise performance.

To see just how much EVs have in common, GRIDSERVE has conducted a study into the 60 most popular electric vehicles to reveal the most prevalent features across EVs today to create an electric car ‘blueprint’. From this, we have designed the Ultimate EV.

Introducing the ElectronX

To create the ultimate EV, we analysed body styles, unique design elements, wheel styles and dimensions of 60 of the most popular EVs on the market.

Using this data we were then able to identify the most common features which would form our blueprint, from the from the unmistakable smooth curves to blue and silver accents and flush door handles. These exclusive images show the very first car to be designed from the EV blueprint.

And what should it be called? We called on the help of AI to create the name based on the blueprint. The result: ElectronX.

How are EVs designed today?

The results of our study identified the following 10 common features to feature in our electric car blueprint:

1. Front-end pattern - 85%
2. Gapless alloys - 70%
3. Blue/silver accents - 58%
4. Diffuser - 58%
5. SUV shape - 55%
6. Full-width rear lights - 47%
7. Smooth design - 42%
8. Flush door handles - 40%
9. Grille-less design - 27%
10. Slim headlights - 20%

As the most popular car colour in the UK is grey – for the fifth year running – we have opted for the shade for the EV.

Front-end patterns appear on 85% of EVs but grilles set to become a feature of the past

EVs have changed the design of the frontend and our expectation of what cars should look like. Without the need for a front grille, designers have the freedom to do whatever, from moving the lights to adding accessories to where the grille formerly was.

Front-end patterns can be found across 85% of EVs analysed, including electric models from Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

However, the absence of a front grille altogether is something we might get used to, with 27% of EVs analysed featuring a grille-less design.

Tesla took the leap to remove the grille on the old Model S and the Nissan Leaf launched without one when it was first revealed over a decade ago to polarising debate.

Gapless alloys and blue and silver accents are other common features across the EVs we analysed

The types of wheels on an EV can improve efficiency, so when it came to designing the ‘ultimate EV’ from the blueprint, we chose alloys that improved aerodynamics as 70% of the EVs analysed had similar gapless alloys, from the MG4 to the Audi Q4 e-tron.

In a nod to futuristic design, we also looked at speed tail alloys and what EVs could look like featuring those alloys. These alloys are designed to improve overall performance and are lightweight, so we might see more similar designs appearing in the future.

Likewise, blue and silver accents featured on 58% of the vehicles we reviewed. As more manufacturers commit to their electric line-ups, we’ll likely see more shades of blue to represent the sustainability of EVs.

The same can be said for silver, with these shades complementing the modern design of EVs.

55% of EVs are SUVs

It likely comes as no surprise that 55% of the EVs were SUV shaped, with a deluge of EV SUVs launched in the last few years. Since Tesla revealed the first all-electric SUV in 2012, other brands have followed.

Digging into this further, we found the average length to be 4,590mm (for context, that’s a little smaller than a Tesla Model Y but still big enough for a family SUV), with the width 1,865mm– without mirrors. The height sits at 1,582mm which is around the height of a smaller, compact SUV.

Aerodynamics leads design

Other commonplace features included flush door handles (40%), with Tesla and many other EVs opting for the handles to improve aerodynamics.

We also discovered that, according to the blueprint, the ultimate EV has a drag coefficient of 0.27, highlighting how aerodynamically efficient the average EV is. EVs with comparable drag coefficients included Hyundai’s Kona Electric and the CUPRA Born, showing an ultra-sleek design like the Hyundai IONIQ6 is not always necessary to achieve great range.

While the ElectronX might be the ultimate EV based on our blueprint, unfortunately, it is not available to be leased. In the meantime, you can discover more about leasing an EV with GRIDSERVE including our electric leasing special offers.

Methodology

The 60 most popular (most viewed) EVs from the EV database were analysed to identify the key aesthetic features across EVs. The features were then used to create a ‘blueprint’ which generated the ultimate EV. The car is not available for purchase or lease.

Data collected June 2023.