VW Design Boss: Future EVs Will Look More Normal And Have Nicer Interiors
Volkswagen’s head of design is on a mission to normalize EV styling. Speaking with MotorTrend, Andreas Mindt said the company’s current EV offerings are styled to appeal to early adopters, and he acknowledged that the automaker has work to do to regain confidence in its designs.
Faced with dwindling demand for its EVs, VW is set for a refresh and restyling of its future EVs. Its current design language is seen as outdated, as the market is well beyond early adopter status at this point, and Mindt is determined to shift to more normal-looking cars going forward.
The ID.2 All is an excellent example of VW’s need to shift. The very-much-Golf-looking EV looks like a normal hatchback and doesn’t scream, “I’M AN ELECTRIC CAR!” The design has been well received and could be a sign of good things to come if VW sticks to the plan. The car’s interior is also a shift from VW’s current cabin design, as it will feature higher-quality materials and less confounding tech.
Mindt’s view is refreshing in today’s electric vehicle market. Automakers like Hyundai and Kia have made impressive EVs, but their styling (while fantastic) tries very hard to be futuristic. Since we’re past the phase of needing to appeal to early adopters, widespread adoption will likely take a range of styling choices, just like we have in gas vehicles today.
[Image: VW]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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I guess "styled to appeal to early adopters" is German for "plain and cheap-looking."
I see lots of ID.4 around here and I don't think they have spaceship / futuristic / "early adopter" styling. I'd say that something like the Ioniq 6 would fit that description. The ID.4 is just blah.
Sounds like a legacy car maker trying to wishfully shut the barn door on a bolted horse.
Why not do it now? Why did every single one have to look stupid in the first place?
Who knew? Customers did not actually love weird looking vehicles with spartan, cheap feeling interiors and most frustrating UX.
VeeDub - the people's car (makers) got so big that they thought the masses will just buy anything they manufacture.
And then *sHoCkEr*, in mid 2023, Thomas Schaefer (VW CEO) suggests that it “all is at stake” during an online address, where he told more than 2,000 senior managers that “the roof is on fire.”
Haptic feedback steering wheel controls;
Climate controls buried three menus deep in the centre dash touch screen;
Materials that feel cheap and downgraded over the average Mk7.5 Golf.