5 ms·

and yet it is completely tasteless designwise. what an ugly, ugly car. tesla is doing it right, the fiat500e is beautiful - why is it so hard to understand tha

and yet it is completely tasteless designwise. what an ugly, ugly car. tesla is doing it right, the fiat500e is beautiful - why is it so hard to understand that design matters? the new BMW i3 is not exactly beautiful as well.

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
mikestew 13y ago
> why is it so hard to understand that design matters? Maybe Nissan did understand that, which is how we ended up with the Leaf. You spend $32K on a car that's saving polar bears, you want the world to know it. How am I supposed to feel smug if I'm driving something that looks like a Nissan Versa? Contrast that to the Tesla Model S, which IMO is kind of bland (though I'd still buy one if we didn't have the Leaf). A buddy of mine recently said he hadn't seen a Tesla. In Redmond, WA? I guarantee that he saw at least one or two on his way to work at Microsoft that morning. But if one isn't in to cars much, a Model S isn't really going to stand out.
- _delirium 13y ago
  I've seen that hypothesis floated for hybrid-electric cars also, in particular to explain why more conventional-looking cars like the Honda Civic Hybrid failed to make a meaningful dent into the Toyota Prius's marketshare.
- Danieru 13y ago
  The Teslas are rarer at Microsoft than I expected. Over the summer I made a point of looking for them. The Leafs were easy to spot and numerous. Meanwhile I remember one or maybe two Teslas. In fact I saw more Ferraris than Tesla Model S. Without a doubt the Leaf is more noticeable and more popular.
- yen223 13y ago
  If you want a car that smug people can feel smug about, at least have the courtesy to make it look desirable. I'm looking at you too, Prius.
  - dagw 13y ago
    The ugliness of it is the whole point. You care so much about the environment that you don't even care about silly superficial things like aesthetic design. If it looked desirable then there is a risk that people might assume you bought it for its looks rather than it environmental credentials and your smugness potential takes a serious hit.
    - notdrunkatall 13y ago
      I would like to volunteer myself to slap the shit out of everyone with this mindset.
- ibrahima 13y ago
  > How am I supposed to feel smug if I'm driving something that looks like a Nissan Versa? Wait what, I always thought the Nissan Leaf looked like an uglier Nissan Versa? Wikipedia says the prototype version was a Versa. Personally, I've been confusing newer Volvos for Teslas a lot recently (both have the brand name written out in 5 letters across the back). The Tesla Model S looks reasonably nice, but like you said, it doesn't really stand out if you don't know what you're looking for. Personally I prefer that, if I were to buy an electric car I'd rather it look closer to normal.
sliverstorm 13y ago
You're right. Design matters. People who buy alternative vehicles seem to cue in to "different" designs though. I always think of the 90's Prius vs. the 2000's Prius. The first Prius looked like an ordinary car; footnote in history. Most people don't even know it existed. The second looks distinct and a little weird; smash hit.
- chao- 13y ago
  Agreed. My father, though not always a penny-pincher, embraced and supported the idea that he was a penny-pincher, of sound budgetary mind, and so forth. He bought a second-generation Prius not because of any environmental benefit (or not entirely: he had at that point worked in oil for 20 years, and still does), but because to him it showed off to the other folks in traffic "Gaze upon my daily fuel savings, ye mighty, and despair!"
samstave 13y ago
I personally think the i3 is hot.
officer_gotcha 13y ago
A car is a device that moves my butt from point A to point B safely and comfortably. Design is just a part of the package, and not the most important part either. Unless, of course, you're buying it to demonstrate prowess.
tpurves 13y ago
Imagine how many they could have sold if it wasn't so fugly.
- yardie 13y ago
  It's fugliness is part of the appeal. If it looked like any other Nissan (Sentra for example) then people wouldn't know you paid extra for an EV. For example, a friend has a Camry hybrid. I never knew it was a hybrid until it silently left our parking lot. He paid $4000+ (I think) extra and has nothing to show for it. EVs on the other hand you, see them, you recognize something that ugly could only be an EV.
  - pedrocr 13y ago
    >He paid $4000+ (I think) extra and has nothing to show for it. Besides the fuel economy that will hopefully pay for that investment over time. Cars that shout "I'm saving polar bears!" may be needed to get enough early adopters but then hopefully the technology has enough benefits on its own that it becomes just another feature that people value for its own sake.
nivla 13y ago
>and yet it is completely tasteless designwise. what an ugly, ugly car.tesla is doing it right. On the bright side it doesn't catch on fire. </snark> Keeping aside the snark, it doesn't look that bad. The low price tag and the comparable look of Prius makes up for it. I think Nissan and Telsa are competing on different demograph within the same market. Nissan is going after people who think of cars as a utility and are looking to save some $$ on their daily gas expenditure. While Tesla is going after the people who prefer luxury, style and trend.
velodrome 13y ago
The BMW I8 looks really nice. I think it comes out this year (Spring 2014) and costs more than a Tesla Roadster. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_i8 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_i8
- kristofferR 13y ago
  Damn, that looks really cool. I've been wanting a car with the "futurist concept car look" for years, but they seemingly never progress to mass production. It's good to see that that's finally happening.
- typon 13y ago
  With a laughable electric range of 35 km, I wouldn't put it in the same category as the Roadster.
  - velodrome 13y ago
    It's actually a hybrid: 500 km (310 mi) in Comfort mode 600 km (370 mi) in Eco Pro mode Electric range 35 km (22 mi) The I3 more like the GM Volt (electric w/ generator).
yesimahuman 13y ago
I wouldn't call it ugly. Rather, it's a bit nerdy looking whereas the Tesla is all Luxury. I'd rather be seen driving the Leaf than a fancy Model S. I hope Tesla makes a design that is a little less expensive looking.
matthewmcg 13y ago
Taste is quite subjective. I like the design of the Leaf but not the Fiat. Too bad both aren't yet available in every city!

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

mikestew 13y ago

> why is it so hard to understand that design matters? Maybe Nissan did understand that, which is how we ended up with the Leaf. You spend $32K on a car that's saving polar bears, you want the world to know it. How am I supposed to feel smug if I'm driving something that looks like a Nissan Versa? Contrast that to the Tesla Model S, which IMO is kind of bland (though I'd still buy one if we didn't have the Leaf). A buddy of mine recently said he hadn't seen a Tesla. In Redmond, WA? I guarantee that he saw at least one or two on his way to work at Microsoft that morning. But if one isn't in to cars much, a Model S isn't really going to stand out.

_delirium 13y ago
I've seen that hypothesis floated for hybrid-electric cars also, in particular to explain why more conventional-looking cars like the Honda Civic Hybrid failed to make a meaningful dent into the Toyota Prius's marketshare.
Danieru 13y ago
The Teslas are rarer at Microsoft than I expected. Over the summer I made a point of looking for them. The Leafs were easy to spot and numerous. Meanwhile I remember one or maybe two Teslas. In fact I saw more Ferraris than Tesla Model S. Without a doubt the Leaf is more noticeable and more popular.
yen223 13y ago
If you want a car that smug people can feel smug about, at least have the courtesy to make it look desirable. I'm looking at you too, Prius.
- dagw 13y ago
  The ugliness of it is the whole point. You care so much about the environment that you don't even care about silly superficial things like aesthetic design. If it looked desirable then there is a risk that people might assume you bought it for its looks rather than it environmental credentials and your smugness potential takes a serious hit.
  - notdrunkatall 13y ago
    I would like to volunteer myself to slap the shit out of everyone with this mindset.
ibrahima 13y ago
> How am I supposed to feel smug if I'm driving something that looks like a Nissan Versa? Wait what, I always thought the Nissan Leaf looked like an uglier Nissan Versa? Wikipedia says the prototype version was a Versa. Personally, I've been confusing newer Volvos for Teslas a lot recently (both have the brand name written out in 5 letters across the back). The Tesla Model S looks reasonably nice, but like you said, it doesn't really stand out if you don't know what you're looking for. Personally I prefer that, if I were to buy an electric car I'd rather it look closer to normal.

sliverstorm 13y ago

You're right. Design matters. People who buy alternative vehicles seem to cue in to "different" designs though. I always think of the 90's Prius vs. the 2000's Prius. The first Prius looked like an ordinary car; footnote in history. Most people don't even know it existed. The second looks distinct and a little weird; smash hit.

chao- 13y ago
Agreed. My father, though not always a penny-pincher, embraced and supported the idea that he was a penny-pincher, of sound budgetary mind, and so forth. He bought a second-generation Prius not because of any environmental benefit (or not entirely: he had at that point worked in oil for 20 years, and still does), but because to him it showed off to the other folks in traffic "Gaze upon my daily fuel savings, ye mighty, and despair!"

samstave 13y ago

I personally think the i3 is hot.

officer_gotcha 13y ago

A car is a device that moves my butt from point A to point B safely and comfortably. Design is just a part of the package, and not the most important part either. Unless, of course, you're buying it to demonstrate prowess.

tpurves 13y ago

Imagine how many they could have sold if it wasn't so fugly.

yardie 13y ago
It's fugliness is part of the appeal. If it looked like any other Nissan (Sentra for example) then people wouldn't know you paid extra for an EV. For example, a friend has a Camry hybrid. I never knew it was a hybrid until it silently left our parking lot. He paid $4000+ (I think) extra and has nothing to show for it. EVs on the other hand you, see them, you recognize something that ugly could only be an EV.
- pedrocr 13y ago
  >He paid $4000+ (I think) extra and has nothing to show for it. Besides the fuel economy that will hopefully pay for that investment over time. Cars that shout "I'm saving polar bears!" may be needed to get enough early adopters but then hopefully the technology has enough benefits on its own that it becomes just another feature that people value for its own sake.

nivla 13y ago

>and yet it is completely tasteless designwise. what an ugly, ugly car.tesla is doing it right. On the bright side it doesn't catch on fire. </snark> Keeping aside the snark, it doesn't look that bad. The low price tag and the comparable look of Prius makes up for it. I think Nissan and Telsa are competing on different demograph within the same market. Nissan is going after people who think of cars as a utility and are looking to save some $$ on their daily gas expenditure. While Tesla is going after the people who prefer luxury, style and trend.

velodrome 13y ago

The BMW I8 looks really nice. I think it comes out this year (Spring 2014) and costs more than a Tesla Roadster. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_i8 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_i8

kristofferR 13y ago
Damn, that looks really cool. I've been wanting a car with the "futurist concept car look" for years, but they seemingly never progress to mass production. It's good to see that that's finally happening.
typon 13y ago
With a laughable electric range of 35 km, I wouldn't put it in the same category as the Roadster.
- velodrome 13y ago
  It's actually a hybrid: 500 km (310 mi) in Comfort mode 600 km (370 mi) in Eco Pro mode Electric range 35 km (22 mi) The I3 more like the GM Volt (electric w/ generator).

yesimahuman 13y ago

I wouldn't call it ugly. Rather, it's a bit nerdy looking whereas the Tesla is all Luxury. I'd rather be seen driving the Leaf than a fancy Model S. I hope Tesla makes a design that is a little less expensive looking.

matthewmcg 13y ago

Taste is quite subjective. I like the design of the Leaf but not the Fiat. Too bad both aren't yet available in every city!