The Future of Electric Vehicle Design: Innovations, Trends, Career

As we head into a more technology-driven future of automobiles, electric vehicles are going to be the most common norm. The design of an electric vehicle will be the most prioritized design principle for any automotive or transportation design student in the future.

Students pursuing an vehicle design course will also learn about electric vehicle architecture, battery technology, motor design, powertrain, and many more topics during their time there. They will also get an in-depth understanding of how future trends affect and shape the design of electric vehicles.

The Evolution of Electric Vehicle Design

Electric Vehicles aren’t a ‘thing of the future’ any more. They are already here, and they are here to stay. As per reports, 20% of all new cars manufactured worldwide are expected to be electric. By 2030, this number is expected to rise to 40%. Such is the demand of EVs, and such are the predictions.

However, contrary to popular knowledge, electric vehicles aren’t a modern-day invention. In fact, they have been around the automobile sector from before ICE (Internal Combustion Engines) vehicles came around.

Its true inception goes back to 1828 when Anyos Jedlik developed a small electric car with an electric motor in Hungary. They were, obviously, nothing like the modern-day EVs, but it was a start. Two years later, Thomas Davenport experimented with a DC electric motor and invented a vehicle to run on electrified tracks.

Slowly, the focus shifted to batteries followed by rechargeable batteries, and the innovations continued. EVs were gaining popularity over the ICE vehicles, and the future looked bright for electric vehicles.

It all came to a grinding halt when Henry Ford launched his Ford Model T car. Its many user-friendly benefits outshone the EVs, and slowly the world forgot about it. Years later, there were some attempts made to bring back the EV.

The 1970s Oil Crisis played a part in people’s renewed interest in EVs. GM launched the EV1 in 1990 and Toyota launched the Prius in 1997, but it wasn’t until 2008 when Elon Musk’s Tesla launched the Roadster that recaptured the world’s attention to EVs.

It was the world’s first EV to travel more than 320 km on a single charge. EV, thus, made a strong comeback.

Sales of Tesla EVs continued to soar, even as the battery price plummeted for a while. The rise and development of EVs over time resulted in three different types of this vehicle – The Battery EV, the Hybrid EV, and the Plug-In Hybrid EV. All three of these models require different amounts of electricity to operate.

The Battery EV has rechargeable batteries and is solely powered by electricity. Since they do not emit greenhouse gases, there is an absence of tailpipes in them. The Plug-In Hybrid EVs operate on electricity and gasoline. They can shift between the two as and when required.

They have a battery to drive the electric motor as well as a fuel tank to fill gasoline and run an IC engine. Similar to these, Hybrid vehicles are also powered by gasoline and electricity. But unlike the Plug-In Hybrid EV, there isn’t a direct point to charge the battery. Instead, the battery gets charged through a mechanism called ‘Regenerative Braking,’ as well as by the IC engine.

In the latter two i.e. hybrid EV and plug-in hybrid EV, the batteries and the fuel engine work together to bring down fuel emissions and maximize performance. The development of the rechargeable lead-acid batteries has been one of the coolest and the most crucial design innovations in electric vehicles.

With sustainable transportation options being the norm, Governments around the world are investing heavily in the development of electric vehicle design. User-centric features, AI, smart technologies, and lightweight materials are some of the key trends to look out for in the electric vehicle design evolution.

What are the Innovations in Electric Vehicle Design?

Here are some of the key innovations in Electric Vehicle design:

• A Battery Management System to monitor battery health, extend its lifespan, and optimize the charging and discharging process.
• There is a faster charging time for electric vehicles that makes it more practical for everyday use.
• Rechargeable lead-acid batteries are one of the most important innovations in electric vehicle design.
• Fuel Cell technologies that generate electricity through a chemical reaction. It offers an alternative to sustainable transportation.
• V2G technology (Vehicle-to-grid) technology offers grid stabilization by not only drawing power from the grid but also feeding energy back into it.
• AI-powered vehicle health checks that regularly monitor the vehicle health and check potential problems.
• Infotainment systems with features like over-the-air updates and connected services.
• Regenerative Braking to charge a hybrid electric vehicle.
• Power electronics play a crucial role in converting and managing electricity within EVs.

What is the Role of UX/UI in EV Design?

UX/UI, or user experience and user interface, plays a crucial role in an electric vehicle design. It enhances the overall driving experience and focuses on safety, reliability, personalization, and usability, among others. This ultimately impacts the brand image and strengthens the loyalty between the customer and the product.

A well-designed UI can ensure that the customer drives with utmost precision and the least distractions. He/She can focus on the road without paying attention to multiple facets of an vehicle on motion. In the meantime, it also allows them to interact with the vehicle’s features with clear and intuitive controls.

Visual aesthetics, in-vehicle infotainment, climate and comfort control, navigation assistance, and device connectivity, are just some of the added areas of focus in a UI/UX electric vehicle design.

The Future of EV Design: How to Become an EV Designer?

To pursue a career in electric vehicle design, one needs to get admission into an automotive design or transportation design course from a reputable design school like the Strate School of Design.

The process starts with securing 50% or more marks in Class 12 and applying for a design school of choice. It would be beneficial if they included science and mathematics as their main subjects in high school.

They can then apply for a BDes course (4 years)  in either Transportation Design or Automotive Design from any reputed college. They need to clear the admission test specific to each institution and then clear the interview or portfolio review.

A course in Automotive Design can lay the foundational basis for anyone looking to become an electric vehicle designer. An electric vehicle design aspirant will need to develop expertise in the majority of subjects taught during their automotive design course.

While they will separately learn about powertrains and battery systems, they still need to figure out a way to make them sustainable. The principles of sustainable design are very important to an electric vehicle designer.

Lastly, exposure to the industry through projects, internships, workshops, seminars, and other practical experiences will play a major role in the development of an electric vehicle designer.

What are the Career Opportunities in Electric Vehicle Design?

The electric vehicle design job market is a rapidly expanding one in this era of globalization. Those in design engineering, battery management systems, software development systems, and sales departments, are constantly in demand.

With the burgeoning demand for electric vehicles and EV designers in India, here are some of the jobs they can pursue in the field:

• Battery Management System Designer
• EV Product Designer
• EV Powertrain Designer
• EV Charging Infrastructure Designer
• Designer of Thermal Systems
• Automotive Controls Manager
• Automotive Design and Safety Specialist
• Research and Development
• EV Design Engineer

Conclusion

India’s Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari claimed that the Indian EV market will rise to INR 20,00,000 crores by the year 2030, as per a report by Economic Times. It would also create 5 million direct jobs and 30 million indirect jobs.

Therefore, in conclusion, it is safe to say that the growth of electric vehicles is going to be at a spurring rate than anything else. It is the future of automobiles and EV designers will be the next generation thinkers and leaders of automobiles.