In a candid interview with an Australian magazine, Polestar’s exterior designer, Nahum Escobedo, criticized the increasingly rounded design of electric vehicles, blaming aerodynamics for the trend.
Electric vehicles are constantly evolving to provide enhanced range for consumers. From incorporating advanced batteries to tweaking the minutest aerodynamic features to reduce air friction, the design of these vehicles has increasingly become peculiar and uniform. The car market has seen a surge in aerodynamic wheels, active spoilers, unique ridges, and predominantly rounded shapes. But are these design compromises stunting creative expression?
Nahum Escobedo, who helmed the exterior design for Polestar’s third model, seems to think so. Polestar, Volvo’s breakout electric vehicle brand, is establishing a strong presence in Europe and Asia. Its vehicles stand out with their sharp edges, in stark contrast to the overly rounded designs Escobedo critiques.
“Cars are becoming as rounded as a potato or jelly simply because these shapes are aerodynamically ideal. We clearly don’t want that and aim to set a different standard,” said Escobedo. He also emphasized that Polestar doesn’t rely on enormous logos for recognition, like other brands. “We won’t slap on huge logos. We want people to identify a Polestar by its design, not its emblem.”
Unsurprisingly, the electric car designer also touched upon the interiors of modern vehicles, which are becoming heavily technologized. He voiced his concerns about the plethora of lights dominating the cabin. “There are so many lights everywhere that it feels like a mini Las Vegas inside. With countless buttons and lights—this one’s purple, that one’s green, another’s orange—it’s simply too much. The same goes for the exterior, with many cars looking like Christmas trees on the road,” Escobedo opined.
