Why Do Electric Cars Look Different, Weird & Ugly? (11 Reasons)

Electric cars are becoming more attractive with the ever-growing technology and innovation. However, they still look weird compared to traditional cars, and some of them are just plain ugly.

These are 11 reasons electric cars look weird and different on the inside and out.

1. The focus is on energy efficiency, not design.

The cost of electric car production is rather high because of the gigantic lithium in battery packs they run on. That said, it can cost anywhere from $17,000 to $36,000 for a manufacturer to produce just one electric vehicle.

With production costs that high, the manufacturers certainly aren’t focusing on the exterior pleasantries.

Most of the money goes toward making their EVs more efficient and trying to improve other aspects, such as driving range and quicker charging times. Unfortunately, not many vehicles come out with staggering or mesmerizing looks. In fact, some of them are downright hideous.

Some of the newer and more pricey EVs are eye-catching, however. For example, the Polestar 2 is a nicely chiseled luxury-type sedan from the same company that manufactures Volvos. One can hardly tell it’s an EV.

2. The gigantic battery needs room.

Another reason electric cars look weird is because of the battery’s size and placement. Electric car batteries are typically 848 to 1,200 pounds, and they stretch across the frame of the vehicle in the front. These odd battery placements require the manufacturers to make accommodations to ensure drivers have enough legroom.

They need to make the seats much higher, which also requires them to make the roofline higher. The result is sometimes a quirky-looking slope.

Electric vehicles’ lack of appeal also has to do with their stubbiness.

Many of these models have stubby-looking fronts because the battery is located at the bottom of the front end, and there’s no huge engine to offset it.

Thus, the entire front end of the vehicle is much shorter, and it can give a sawed-off appearance when it’s too short.

3. No exhaust system, no pipes.

Electric vehicles don’t have traditional internal combustion engines. Thus, there’s no need for an exhaust system to “rid” the engine compartments of any unburned fuel.

Therefore, there are no exhaust pipes present in the rear of the vehicle, which gives the back of the car a bare appearance.

Something about single and dual exhaust pipes on internal combustion vehicles gave them much more personality and flair. The missing components look strange to consumers after having internal combustion engines in their lives for so long.

Their minds say, “Why does that electric car look weird?”

Well, the lack of an exhaust system adds to the overall awkwardness.

4. Missing frontal airflow elements.

Many electric vehicles have smaller grilles in front of them, and they look weird because of it.

Some manufacturers have even chosen not to put any grilles on the cars at all. Internal combustion vehicles needed them to allow air in to cool the engine by way of the radiator.

Thus, they all had those accessories, and some of them were highly attractive and detailed.

Electric cars, on the other hand, don’t need much of a grille to cool the battery.

Therefore, many of them have tiny ones, while some of them are missing them altogether, and it looks weird to many people.

5. Smaller tires give better performance.

Electric vehicles need different tires than traditional vehicles do.

The reason is that they carry much more weight than ICE vehicles and require tires that can carry it well enough to preserve steering, handling, and the like.

Therefore, sometimes the tires are much narrower than regular tires because they improve the range. The vehicle needs less energy to move, and the driver gets extra miles because of it.

In some cases, the electric vehicle’s tires are smaller and have thicker sidewalls to improve range and efficiency.

Those attributes can also make an electric vehicle look odd.

6. Those high-set headlights.

As mentioned before, electric vehicle manufacturers have to accommodate for the battery placement in numerous areas.

That said, the high light arrangement can get a little wonky.

Many electric vehicles have high-set headlights that go at the top of the fenders, and some people believe it gives the vehicles almost a bug-eyed appearance.

Buggy eyes are never very attractive, and they can lessen the appeal of a vehicle quickly.

7. Strange Jetson-like shapes.

Some manufacturers are putting extra effort into trying to be unique. However, the designs are wildly odd and don’t sit well with the consumers yet.

One example of this type of vehicle is the Tesla Cybertruck.

It’s covered with harsh lines, sharp cuts, and fluorescent lights. It looks like a cross between the Delorean in the “Back to the Future” 80s movie and a vehicle from the 60s Jetsons cartoon. Vehicles like these are so aggressively “innovative” that they’re ugly.

Some critics have gone as far as arguing that the Cybertruck is failing. Read our article here to find out what people really think about Tesla’s Cybertruck.

8. They’re gutted under the hood.

The weird, awkward, and ugly looks found on electric vehicles don’t just exist in the interior areas. They exist under the hood as well. The lack of almost 2,000 engine parts leaves enough space under the hood to make an ICE lover cry. Some electric vehicles have more components than others do, but overall, the inside of an electric car’s “engine cabin” looks empty.

Vehicle owners see a group of flat metal boxes, orange hoses, warning labels, or an immensely vast storage space area, referred to as a “frunk.”

The lack of engine components makes electric vehicles look abandoned, barren, and incomplete under the hood, like a rebuild project a mechanic never finished.

Some might even say that electric vehicles look like ICE vehicles with the guts ripped out of them.

That’s ugly to people who appreciate internal combustion engines.

9. Limited color options.

Another reason some people consider electric vehicles ugly is their limited exterior color options due to limited production numbers. Many EVs only have a few color choices, and the majority of them are underwhelming or bland.

Thus, many consumers see them as dull vehicles because they don’t have the vibrant and colorful exteriors that many other cars have.

This issue doesn’t necessarily make them ugly, but it does make them rather boring. However, with the popularity of electric models increasing daily, manufacturers will begin to mass produce and offer additional color options because of it.

10. Manufacturers and consumers want to make an “eco-friendly” statement.

Some electric cars are unattractive and lack personality because the manufacturers want to make a statement.

Minimizing the glamor and emphasizing efficiency and eco-friendliness is how automotive engineers show their support of prioritizing environmental issues.

Furthermore, drivers want to make the same statement. They want electric vehicles to stand out from ICE vehicles so that everyone will know where they stand. They don’t all want ugly vehicles, but they want distinctive vehicles.

The odd designs on some of the electric models achieve that.

11. Change is always ugly.

Not all electric cars are necessarily ugly, but they are quite different from what car enthusiasts have come to know and love. The abrupt transition to electric vehicles can make them seem ugly to die-hard ICE fans.

Manufacturers intend to create electric versions of their ICE cars that look similar to those vehicles.

For example, Dodge is working on electric Chargers for its lineup.

Those vehicles are certainly not ugly, but they are still missing a legendary part of the vehicle that many people have loved for years.

Now you know some of the reasons electric cars are weird looking. As manufacturers continue to produce models, they’ll consider the styling and designs more.

Furthermore, as time goes by and more people purchase electric cars, they will begin to look normal. It’s still early in the game, and there’s plenty of time for additional innovations.

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