Sparking joy: inside the movement to make EVs fun
The long-held view that electric cars can’t be fun is changing, as a procession of new high-performance, joy-enriched vehicles makes its way to our shores. Buckle up
By 
WHEN YOU WORK with words, one of the rabbit holes you often fall down is the etymology of commonly used phrases. A tedious practice at times, sure, but sometimes it’ll land you in a place that’s not only interesting but spookily on the money as to why you started pulling at a particular thread in the first place.
Over the past few years, there’s been a quiet, yet reoccurring, public grumble around the apparent lack of diversity in electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia. The argument – which sits alongside the affordability complaint – is used to explain EVs’ lack of uptake and finds its purest expression in the notion that they just don’t seem at all fun. Or, at the very least, that many electric SUVs or conservatively styled sedans (a la Tesla and Polestar 2) don’t speak to everyone.
To my earlier point, ‘Different strokes for different folks’ was the phrase that in this case prompted a Google search. It’s one that’s long governed consumer product releases and was famously popularised by Muhammad Ali and then Sly Stone in the ’60s. What you might not have known is that the phrase was also adopted – or turned, if you like – by Volkswagen in the ’70s to promote the diversity in its range of passenger cars: ‘Different Volks for different folks’.
Once upon a time, variety was a cornerstone of the automotive industry. Remember microcars? City trucks? Low- powered, but highly amusing, affordable sports cars? And yet, these days, as cars get bigger and strict Australian Design Rules (ADR) determine which models are released in our market (pour one out for the critically acclaimed yet now-banned Alpine A110), it can feel like we’re being corralled to fit into an automotive vision that lacks the fun factor many of us seek, particularly those of us whose lifestyle doesn’t call for a large or family-centric vehicle.
Nowhere has this sense of circumscription been more evident than in the EV space. At least until now. Because in the past few months, a new and exciting fleet of EVs has debuted on our shores, offering a glimmer of hope that the future of tailpipe emissions-free cars might be fun, thrilling and diverse in its offering, leaving fewer obstacles to a wider uptake.
When it comes to making cars fun and young again – something this nameplate has done for 65 years – nobody is going as hard as MINI is right now with the new Cooper 3-door electric and the incoming Aceman. The second generation of electrified MINI brings better range (up to 400km for the SE), a fresh look and stacks of kit.
Anticipating the next generation of drivers, the geniuses at BMW have clearly been studying online behaviour and the ever-changing aesthetic nature of digital culture over the past few years, because the new MINI is crazily youth coded. To start, you can now alter the friend-shaped car’s exterior character by choosing from three different external light modes, which change the look of the taillights and daytime running lights. Those dated hard-dash and door plastics that dominated the past 40 years of interior design are gone, replaced with a soft and warm-feeling sneaker knit-like recycled polyester fabric, which is backlit with customisable LEDs.
Speaking to the culture of light-speed trend cycles and personalised aesthetics, a very cool feature of the MINI’s digital heart is the ability to upload an image to the centre console (just like a lock screen or desktop). This feature takes personalisation a step further, as it performs a colour analysis on the uploaded image before adjusting the interior LEDs and instruments’ aesthetic to match it. Naturally, the new MINI can also take in-car selfies, so road trips can be documented from an in-car POV and downloaded using the car’s WIFI. To match what MINI has always referred to as its “go-kart feel” – the swift and sharp handling that defines the car – the centre console also transforms navigating to your desired location into a Mario Kart-like journey. When activated, the front-facing camera takes over the screen and augmented reality-enabled animated arrows flash on top of the live video feed to show the way. Like many of BMW’s newest models, MINI’s new offerings are enabled with the latest generation of AI assistant – except, here, they pull from Millennial culture with a pop-up AI character that will hop into frame and ask if it can help – yep, just like Microsoft’s Clippy.
Moving on to the Porsche Macan, famously the goldilocks of sports SUVs – not too big, not too small, stylish, versatile and in possession of that signature Porsche feel and level of performance, comfort and thrill. The Macan accounts for almost half of the luxury German marque’s sales in Australia. So, it would make sense for it to be next in line for the all-electric treatment, after the Taycan sedan and wagon and ahead of the all-electric 718 Cayman replacement. Speaking to those who want pure high-riding sports performance with an electric drivetrain, this is the ticket – and will replace the outgoing petrol Macan.
Along with a hugely powerful 470kW/1130Nm output found in the top-end Macan Turbo, there’s also a fresh personalisation element previously unseen among high-riding EVs on the market; this includes a new metallic lavender paint called Provence, painted wheels and some creative interior trim options off-the-rack. Collectively, it reflects a growing trend among carmakers to guide consumers away from the traditional grey, white and black shades of the past (though these are available, too) and into more colourful and personalised modes of expression.
The change echoes what we’ve witnessed in the personal tech industry – Samsung and Apple are great recent examples. As we’ve seen with a number of brand-new EVs in the past year, like the coolly futuristic satin finishes seen on Kia’s flagship EV9, some of the newer paints emerging within the automotive space are very tech-coded and appear to have been lifted off an iPhone or Macbook. As the private car continues to transform from a pure transportation product into an essential tech device enabled with over-the-air updates and software-defining characteristics, the relationship between the two industries’ aesthetics will be one to watch.
Porsche isn’t the only marque with a high-performance pedigree making big moves. Maserati’s incoming all-electric Grecale Folgore (Italian for lightning) is poised to be the go-to for the luxury set who
seek the Trident’s signature unfussy, sophisticated aesthetics and high-performance output, but with the immediate power and serenity of an electric drivetrain. The traditional Italian racing brand has even applied its signature craftsmanship to sustainable material alternatives, notably one called ECONYL, which is made out of recovered fishnets. It’s part of a burgeoning trend across the industry: the emerging luxury consumer is happy to make the shift away from leather.
The Grecale Folgore is the first all-electric model for Maserati and a cornerstone of its future. The automaker has invested at least $1.29 billion in ensuring that, by 2025, every model will have some form of electric or petrol-hybrid variant on offer. As the first Italian luxury brand to start producing EVs, and in a signal it intends to become a leader in the luxury EV space, Maserati has committed to ensuring its entire range will continue to be engineered and manufactured in Italy, thus distinguishing itself from a lot of brands that have looked to shift their operations offshore.
A quiet, yet powerful contender looking to capture the attention of design enthusiasts and urban dwellers – basically coming for Polestar’s piece of that pie – is Renault. The French marque has a long history and plenty of experience in electric cars. It first dabbled with them in 1937, again in 1959 and, following the 1973 oil crisis, started seriously to consider their viability, which would lead to the 2012 launch of four EVs – one of which was sold in Australia, the Renault Zoe.
The Megane E-Tech is the first of a new generation of Renault EVs to land that boasts the latest tech, sustainable materials (up to 90 per cent of the car is recyclable) and a design language that’s more contemporary and complete than a lot of its counterparts’. While a lot of brands lead with design as a selling point, it’s a hard thing to get right in a car of this size while trying to meet aerodynamic needs. Yet, the Renault’s subtle and considered use of shapes, materials and in-car digital experiences is so undeniably pleasant, it’s not hard to foresee this hatchback garnering a cult-like following within certain circles of inner-city aesthetes – a sort of IYKYK EV, if you will.
Within many car-enthusiast circles, there’s one kind of high-performance vehicle that is universally loved: the superwagen. If you’re reading this and shaking your head, yes, a wagon – specifically a German one. These high-powered, big-engined, low-slung, long-bodied sleepers were what existed before we had super-SUVs; they’re nimble, planted, spacious and full of grunt – the perfect all-round performer. Audi has the RS6, Mercedes-Benz the AMG E63 S and BMW the M5 Touring.
And now, coming for the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo’s crown, the i5 M60 xDrive Touring, the most powerful 5-Series wagon ever made, has been added to BMW’s growing list of all-electric M-cars. BMW has been getting its fingers sticky in the electric car strudel for more than 50 years now, so it knows a thing or two about efficiency and power deployment. This 442kW/820Nm electrified dual-motored beast has a claimed 0-100km/h dash of 3.9-seconds, a top speed of 230km/h and just over 500km of range.
Numbers aside, the proportions, low ride-height, aggressive stance and a hugely extensive standard features list promise to make this BMW a mean piece of kit, and a pure thrill to drive.
So, it turns out there is hope that the demise of the combustion engine won’t mean an end to the joy of driving. Indeed, if this next batch of EV releases is anything to go by, the next generation will be able to experience the same sense of freedom, expression of identity and fun that cars have always offered drivers
This story originally appeared in the autumn print issue of Esquire Australia.
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