does auto design matter for green cars

[doug]

Is it enough to be 'green,' or does auto design matter? - SmartPlanet.com (http://www.smartplanet.com/technology/video/is-it-enough-to-be-green-or-does-auto-design-matter/343496/)

Follow the link for a short clip is from the recent AlwaysOn GoingGreen Conference. The participants should be familiar to most of those that follow EVs. Hopefully more from this conference is available online.


At the AlwaysOn GoingGreen Conference in Sausalito, Calif., automakers and venture capitalists talk about whether sustainable design is enough to attract customers to their cars. The executives cite recent success stories, which include the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic. The panel is moderated by Frank Markus, Editor, Motor Trends Magazine. Panelists include: Kevin Czinger, CEO of Coda Automotive; Paul Wilbur, CEO of Aptera; Trae Vassallo, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers; and JB Straubel, CTO of Tesla Motors.Kevin Czinger understandably sounds a bit defensive at the end.

[mpt]

I fall into the split camp; like current design, there are cars that favour and sell lifesyles and cars that don't, e.g. Prius, Corvette, Aptera, Ferrari, old Honda Insight versus new Honda Insight, most Toyota bland models and everything from Korea at the moment.

I think that green car design should be divorced from overall car design except where they're targeting people that wish to make a green statement, e.g. Prius, Aptera.

I think the Tesla models actually fall outside of the green lifestyle (sadly); the Roadster is more Lotus Elise than ultra green to most people. One observer commented that the Roadster shouldn't have a petrol/gas cap "How will people know it's electric?" she asked. How do ordinary folk know the Roadster is electric?

[TEG]

...How do ordinary folk know the Roadster is electric?...

A few owners have taken extra steps to make it more apparent.
http://www.stefanoparis.com/piaev/WhyWeNeedPlugIns/2009.05.17MilbankInstalls/2009.05.17MilbankHoward/images/DSC_9179.jpg
http://i460.photobucket.com/albums/qq324/vfxshots/backview.jpg?t=1252708480

[vfx]

It's really there.

http://i460.photobucket.com/albums/qq324/vfxshots/CIMG6757.jpg?t=1253321838


But I do wanat to redo it in the TESLA font.