Paradise postponed

It needs to be said: new car design is too cautious. Perhaps we should blame the ‘customer-focused’ marketeers for restraining the designers’ creativity? But Frank Stephenson, responsible for the design of the BMW Mini, 2007 Fiat 500 and Ferrari F430 (and now designer of space capsules and flying taxis) points the finger at rushed development offering less creative time.

Ian Callum, Ti contributor and former Design Director of Jaguar, thinks designers should challenge their (often too conservative) management more. Too often, says Ian, they take the line of least resistance.

Whatever the cause, the exterior design of most new electric cars is disappointingly unadventurous. They are cautious petrol car clones, which fail to utilise the packaging and styling advantages of their electric powertrains.