Beyond Efficiencies

Today’s automotive world is a very interesting one. I started my career in the automotive industry at an OEM in Detroit back in 2016. Doesn’t feel like such a long time has passed, but the machinery of electrification was already accelerating. What we call “conventional vehicles” today (gasoline-powered cars) were just “vehicles” back then. A powertrain engineer designed, well, powertrains. Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) powertrains were the norm in most of the western world at least, and we had a choice as consumers between smaller 4-cylinder turbo, mid-size V6, or heavier V8 engines. A few hybrids here and there were making their way to the top sellers, but those were an exception, not a norm.

“Energy efficiency”, “lower emissions”, “greenhouse gases”, these are some of the terms that have been mainstream in the automotive world for decades now. Since the Arab oil embargo of the 70s, the importance of lower fuel consumption, and lower tailpipe emissions has been at the forefront of powertrain design. However, I feel that things drastically changed in the mid-2010s when the industry and the consumer base started noticing the advantages of electrification: lower fuel consumption, lower tailpipe emissions, and in some cases, even better drivability.

Hybrids stopped being “cars for hippies” (Toyota Prius?) and became interesting value propositions. They also became part of the enthusiast community in some cases, like the affordable and efficient, manual transmission hybrid Honda CRZ, or the beautiful and impressive Acura NSX (ahead of its time, IMO).

But while this was happening, we (the automotive industry) were programming our consumer base to expect more, and we did that by making things more complex. Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) are an engineering marvel, for example. A vehicle that can be driven in all-electric mode, hybrid, or ICE only? You have 2 powertrains in one car! Sounds amazing, and it is in many particular use cases. But the majority of our efforts were put into making complex systems reliable, affordable, and efficient. We gave people what they wanted, which is very important, but some of the essence went away.

I’m not saying it’s only because of OEMs that the essence of automotive brilliance was affected, it’s a mixture of market behavior, government policies and corporate dynamics. But the fact is that emotional products are not as common as they were. People were more in touch with their cars in the past, owner’s manuals taught you how to test a spark plug, adjust your valves or replace certain components for servicing. Today owner’s manuals give you the bare minimum information about servicing your car since OEMs prefer consumers take them in to the dealership for service. And more so for hybrids and EVs; the technology relies so much on controls systems and software that servicing at home becomes more of a problem to both consumer and OEM.

I personally love hybrids. I also love EVs. I also love ICE. I’m not saying what the industry is doing is wrong: I am passionate about the industry and I believe the complexity is needed and justified.

What I’m trying to say here is: think of EVs beyond their efficiencies. Think of them as a new form of transportation that could be as emotion-driven as the automotive creations of the past. They will not replace ICE in that regard. No EV could possibly elicit the emotion of hearing a V12 scream, or a cammed-V8 cold start.

But they don’t have to! EVs can cause their own emotions. Speed, acceleration, quietness: maybe these are not the characteristics that will inspire a generation, but there might be some others. Range and instant torque are great, but that’s not what motivates me to drive one.

The smoothness of torque, the feel I get from regen, the ability of stopping overnight during a long road trip, connecting it to a charger and waking up with “a full tank”. That’s what I love about my own EV. But that’s just me. And that doesn’t replace the rumble of my V8, or the mechanical feel of a manual transmission, or the pride I get from maintaining my old carbureted sport bike. I don’t want it to.

I encourage you to pay attention to EVs from a different light: look at what they give you beyond efficiencies. Make a list, maybe even share it here. It might be hard for the enthusiast community to think of new forms in which EVs can connect to our emotional selves since we grew up wrenching, changing oil and listening to different exhaust notes and vibrations. But let’s give it a try. EVs are here to stay, anyway.