I recall reading an article (can't find it at the moment) that suggested that the ugliness of hybrid/electric vehicles was, in general, a deliberate move; that

I recall reading an article (can't find it at the moment) that suggested that the ugliness of hybrid/electric vehicles was, in general, a deliberate move; that people buying an EV didn't actually want an EV (even if they thought they did); they wanted their neighbors to think they wanted an EV, and designing EVs in a distinctive style allowed that market to be tapped much more effectively than if EVs had followed the design patterns of IC vehicles.