I understand in EVs, “skateboard” refers to the chassis of the car using the battery pack itself as the base/floor of the car and then building everything in to

I understand in EVs, “skateboard” refers to the chassis of the car using the battery pack itself as the base/floor of the car and then building everything in top of it. So-called because the battery pack with frame and wheels resembles a skateboard. It’s used in comparison to “conventional” EV sedans from Ford, GM, and older lead-acid/bulky battery tech where carmakers would take an existing car design (that’s meant for an ICE engine and drivetrain) and merely replace the engine with a motor and put the batteries somewhere where they would fit, usually in a tall box shape under the rear cargo area, under the rear passenger seats, and in the front engine compartment as doing so means not having to drastically reengineer the car to put the batteries in the floor - but it means there’s less space for batteries and they consume car volume that would otherwise be free for use by the passengers. I imagine if the Ford Focus Electric was skateboard then they could get 200-250 miles of range and and a fully open frunk and trunk - whereas instead you lose more than half the trunk space (no spare tire either!) and the engine compartment is still full of legacy components with no passenger storage area - for only 150 miles of range. This contributes towards the perception that the legacy automakers aren’t taking BEVs seriously enough because none of them have developed and shipped a true battery-first (I.e. skateboard) car design.