As automakers race to electrify their model lineups, the competition to stand out has never been greater.

Luckily, thanks to electrification, the opportunities to develop new designs are abundant. But if automakers want to succeed, designers need to seize these new opportunities and start developing the cars of the future.

Car companies have followed the same evolutionary design path for decades. Now, with electric cars, everything is changing quickly.

Without an internal combustion engine and a fuel tank, there are new design possibilities to explore. In most passenger vehicles, there is a large engine under the front hood and a fuel tank that takes up space somewhere under the vehicle. While there is, of course, a need for battery and electric motor placement in EVs, designers are not locked into this traditional framework and are able to package the batteries and motors differently.

When approaching design for this new era, automakers must introduce revolutionary cars, not evolutionary cars.

Automakers have a history of trying to make their electric cars “look like an EV.” For some reason, many thought an electric car needed to look “different” — and the result was often ugly. Historically, both the media and the general public have expressed distaste for electric car designs that stood out because they were electric, as opposed to just being a well-designed vehicle.

Recently, other brands have come along and proven that what people wanted in an electric car was good design without this niche “electric car” flare. There are several premium car brands right now achieving success with classic car designs for their electric models.

But this new look will be more aerodynamic and futuristic. These cars will need less front air intake and won’t need a grill on the front at all, since there is less need for airflow to cool the engine, and the designs will be more efficient in a quest to preserve battery life. There will be fewer big SUVs and more crossovers, sedans and fastbacks. But amongst all of this exterior adaptation, the interior of the car must also evolve.

In the interior, the screen and voice control become the main concerns, due to strong demand for connectivity. Gone are so many of the gauges needed to monitor a gasoline engine. The idea of a driver’s interior as a pilot’s cockpit with hundreds of switches and buttons is gone. More important to the consumer is the screen and the technology it offers. Brand expression will primarily come through user experience and digital design and less through the interior materials.

Read more: CNN

Up to one million battery electric and plug-in-hybrid vehicles (EVs) are expected to be sold next year in the EU, consolidating the bloc’s position as the world’s second largest electric car market after China.

In 2020, EV sales will equate to around five per cent of total car sales, and around ten per cent by 2021, analysis released today by campaign group Transport and Environment (T&E) has found. That’s up from only around two per cent today.

T&E cites a 2009 law introducing CO2 targets for new cars as the main driver of the sales boom. Car makers can reach the emissions target of 95 g/km by improving the CO2 efficiency of combustion engines; stopping sales of the highest-emitting cars; pooling efforts with other manufacturers of EVs; or boosting sales of EVs.

Most brands have chosen to increase sales of EVs as their strategy for complying with the law, and, after years of limited efforts, are finally preparing to bring to market a large numbers of more fuel efficient and affordable electric cars, T&E says.

Toyota is best placed to comply with the law thanks to its early investment in hybrid technology, which has resulted in non-rechargeable hybrids reaching 56 per cent of its EU sales.

An alliance between Renault and Nissan is the next closest to compliance, in large part due to an early focus on sales of EVs such as the Nissan Leaf and the Renault Zoé, T&E found.

Read more: Business Green

Hybrids and EVs see 29% sales boost as European industry sees a return to growth

Europe’s new car market saw a return to growth in July, with new registrations rising 1.2% over the previous year.

Figures released by analysts Jato Dynamics revealed that 1,325,600 models found homes in July, with the increase largely driven by the demand for electric and hybrid cars.

Battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and other electrified vehicles totalled 96,600 units, an increase of 29% over July 2018, but it was pure electric cars that saw the biggest gains. Volume has increased 98% to 23,200 units, with Renault’s Zoe the top-selling model and Tesla the top-selling brand.

“Even if they still makeup a comparatively marginal part of the overall market, electric vehicles are definitely becoming the industry’s bright spot during these challenging times,” JATO global analyst Felipe Munoz explained.

The increased sales helped boost the fuel type’s overall market share from 5.8% to 7.4%. Sales of diesel models continue to fall as the fuel type falls out of favour with customers, holding 31% of the overall market – a 5% drop compared to 2018.

Read more: Autocar

Residual values for used electric vehicles (EVs) are growing as demand for zero-emission vehicles ramps up.

Shoreham Vehicle Auctions says the UK has reached a “tipping point of acceptance”.

The electric van market is growing with low mileage business users accepting the benefit of running a used van with very low running costs.

SVA’s managing director Alex Wright said the secret is the education given to dealers and consumers about the features and benefits of an ever-growing range of new and used cars now available.

“EVs need a used market that is alive and prospering. That’s why we have seen greater acceptance during 2018 and into 2019 which has boosted residuals.

“Companies have worked hard on education, including the SVA team’s training courses run in partnership with the Energy Saving Trust,” explained Wright.

“Leasing companies and finance companies can now underwrite EVs confident of a vehicle’s value in three-to-four years’ time which makes monthly rentals more competitive for companies and drivers alike.

“The next step is for the charging infrastructure to respond to market needs and provide a more reliable joined-up network of chargers across the country,” he added.

Wright cites the Nissan Leaf as a recent example of how the used market has changed. In 2017, a 2015 Nissan Leaf 6.6KW Acenta with 20,000 miles on the clock booked at £8,850. In 2019, a 2017 Nissan Leaf 6.6KW Acenta with the same mileage is booking at £11,000, a rise of £2,150.

Read more: FleetNews

New car registrations were down 4.1 per cent last month, making it the worst July for new car sales since 2012, figures show.

In total, 157,198 new cars were registered in July, 6,700 fewer than the same month last year, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The motor industry trade association said political and economic uncertainty, and confusion over future government policy on different fuel types, continued to knock consumer confidence.

Registrations of diesel vehicles fell for the 28th month, from 52,157 in July 2018 to 40,651 in July 2019.

Petrol registrations remained pretty much stable, with 2,646 more registrations than in July last year.

Sales of pure electric vehicles – those powered by battery – almost tripled, with 2,271 last month compared to 880 in July 2018.

Demand for hybrid electric cars also increased by 34 per cent, with 7,758 joining UK roads.

However, registrations of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles continued their recent decline, falling almost 50 per cent year-on-year, after the government grant for these cars was axed late last year.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, said: “Despite yet another month of decline in the new car market, it’s encouraging to see substantial growth in zero emission vehicles. Thanks to manufacturers’ investment in these new technologies over many years, these cars are coming to market in greater numbers than ever before.

“If the UK is to meet its environmental ambitions, however, government must create the right conditions to drive uptake, including long-term incentives and investment in infrastructure.”

Read more: YourMoney

The number of electric car models available to consumers in Europe is expected to triple by 2021, says a European environmental lobby group.

The uptake of electric cars has been stalling, blamed on a lack of charging infrastructure and higher prices.

Latest data shows carmakers will offer 214 electric car models in 2021, up from 60 models at the end of 2018.

More affordable options could see consumers switch from petrol and diesel cars sooner than anticipated.

Analysis by the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E), based on data by research firm IHS Markit, suggests that car manufacturers are now ready to embrace car electrification.

In 2021, carmakers are forecast to bring 92 fully electric models and 118 plug-in hybrid models to market.

If they stick to these plans, 22% of vehicles produced could have a plug by 2025, which would enable manufacturers to easily meet the EU’s car CO2 emissions target of 95g/km by 2025.

The biggest electric car production plants will be in Germany, France, Spain and Italy, the data shows. Some 16 large-scale lithium-ion battery cell plants are confirmed or due to begin operations in Europe by 2023.

“Thanks to the EU car CO2 standards, Europe is about to see a wave of new, longer range, and more affordable electric cars hit the market,” said Lucien Mathieu, a transport and e-mobility analyst at T&E.

“That is good news, but the job is not yet done. We need governments to help roll out electric vehicle charging at home and at work, and we need changes to car taxation to make electric cars even more attractive than polluting diesel, petrol or poor plug-in hybrid vehicles.”

Read more: BBC