The coronavirus pandemic has proven how quick society can adapt to new norms. We’ve seen revolutionary changes to how industries operate in a very short period. Cars have really progressed. They don’t make nasty carbons anymore. They accelerate into another dimension. And they have the ability to steer and accelerate better than the worst driver.

This is the new norm. Every control that is mechanical will be eventually replaced by electronically actuated motors. The idea is to get rid of components that need oil or parts that need to be maintained. The trade-off is that you lose the natural tactility mechanical components provide.

For all these advancements made to the car: the improvement to the acceleration, the improvements made to the ride setup to reduce body roll. They are very numb feeling objects that lack any sort of aspiration.

So where do we go from here? All of these electronics are now standard and will not be going away any time soon. Will we get to a point where we have electric cars that mirrors the dynamic behaviors of an old school internal combustion sports car?

For example, the Porsche Taycan. Electric cars do not have normal gearboxes, however the Taycan has a 2 speed transmission. At the time of writing this I haven’t investigated why Porsche have decided to implement a ‘faux’ 2 speed gearbox, however this gives me room to make assumptions. My assumptions tells me they went out of their way to make the Taycan feel as ICE as possible and for efficiency.

The Lotus Evija is another vehicle that has been described as feeling like a internal combustion supercar. Lotus also appear to be following suit with the philosophy of replicating what we’re used to with the technology of tomorrow. There are 4 motors in each wheel and the batteries are stacked in the bulkhead behind the driver. Different to how manufacturers usually line the floor with battery cells. This immediately makes it evident that the car will be light on it’s feet and dance around the the track. Lotus also have stuck with good old hydraulic steering. Hooray!

This is perhaps a preview of what is to come. Are we are going to have a future where you will have three pedals and a gear lever, all connected by wire? Who really knows? We already have plant based alternatives to everything, We have 3D printing, and we also have Artificial Intelligence. Perhaps the electric car is getting started. If it strengthens the bond I have with the car, I guess I’m for it.