Hybrid car design starting to show more flash?

Hybrids causing 'packages' to evolve

The first generation Toyota Prius was a pretty ugly car, and while the second generation Prius improved its design cues and curves, many still don't like the look. So, why did Toyota design the Prius in such a way?

Even though the 'boring' designs of hybrid vehicles might be about to change in a big way, according to Once Frumpy, Green Cars Start Showing Some Flash, the future might be more like the Prius. As technology advances and changes, the 'packages' of technology also change - adapting and morphing from the ground up.

Essentially, the Prius 'look' was significantly driven by its hybrid architecture. The Prius, unlike most hybrids, is a zen-like combination of design and technology.

"The basic design of any car is dictated by the placement and size of engines, batteries, fuel and so on. These affect where passengers and luggage go. Together, they make up what designers call the package. As changes occur in motors, he said, “people come to accept the new look, as they accept the flat wedge airfoil shape of the Prius,” he said. “In the long run, new designs and layout and architecture will have to come out from underneath, from the basic technology.”