[RahulNagaraj]

According to a media report, Citroen CEO Vincent Cobee has stated that the rapid transitions towards electrification will put an end to the conventional-shaped SUVs. Cobee said that car designers will increase emphasis on aerodynamics, and "anything high or squarish" will most likely not be considered. He added that the transition to EVs will give rise to what he calls a "post-SUV world".



Cobee further mentioned that aerodynamics isn't too important in ICE-powered vehicles, as brands can simply increase the fuel tank and offer more range. However, a similar high-stance or squarish EV will have an immediate penalty.

He even suggested new methods of vehicle taxation designed to penalise heavier and larger vehicles, further threatening the viability of SUVs. The CEO seems convinced there will be some form of regulation or incentive to cut down weights and sizes in the future. The SUV body style will greatly suffer once car makers decide to produce vehicles weighing less than 2 tonnes and have batteries smaller than 60-70 kWh.

While reducing weight on an EV does help extract more range, it is easier said than done. However, making a low-slung aerodynamic vehicle is relatively easier. Because of this, carmakers could soon start looking at designing cars which sit lower and are more aero-efficient, rather than just trying to reduce the weight on squarish SUVs. He added that improving the aerodynamics or powertrain efficiency of an EV has a far better impact on the range than just reducing its weight.

Source: Autocar UK

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[Ferruccio]

Must take Vincent Uncle for a drive in Kalyan - Dombivali. After first his teeth fillings and then his teeth fall out, he shall be forced to reconsider. Sadly, most of earth is not paved like the Champs Elysees .....

[androdev]

Originally Posted by Ferruccio

Must take Vincent Uncle for a drive in Kalyan - Dombivali. After first his teeth fillings and then his teeth fall out, he shall be forced to reconsider. Sadly, most of earth is not paved like the Champs Elysees .....

Ground clearance problem can easily be solved by other techniques such as adjustable ride height. Higher GC at slow urban speeds will not affect aerodynamic efficiency that much. Optimising the shape of the vehicle for better aerodynamics will certainly influence future designs and in that context the traditional shapes such as SUV might undergo some "EV"olution.

[Asoon]

Agreed, aerodynamics is important for EVs but disagree on extension of SUV. Modern SUVs have a different definition than what his perception are.
According to me a SUV should
- Have higher ground clearance for bad terrain
- be more on space to carry additional luggage for long trips
- have capability to go to places (awd, differential lock, angle of approach / departure / breakover)

All the above things can be archived with EV, I am confused what he is trying to say ?

Previous gen Fortuner was bulky, boxy, muscular than the current gen, but that does not make the current gen Fortuner a lesser SUV!!

[Livnletcarsliv]

No wonder why Citroen is not successful in India. If leaders like this make mis-informed, half-baked, and immature statements, then how do build trust on these brands. I was wondering how Citroen is making money in India with its exorbitantly priced C5 and poorly specced C3. Now here is the answer - poor leadership.
SUVs are designed and built for a purpose while every other body type (hatch, sedan, coupe, etc) are also for the similar purpose.

[tanbeamer]

Originally Posted by Ferruccio

Must take Vincent Uncle for a drive in Kalyan - Dombivali. After first his teeth fillings and then his teeth fall out, he shall be forced to reconsider. Sadly, most of earth is not paved like the Champs Elysees .....

The fact that my family lives in Kalyan-Dombivili area was the very reason why my dad cancelled the Rapid in lieu of the Kushaq.

Mr Vincent has made such useless statements time and again. There's nothing new.

[benbsb29]

I must admit, the guy has a point as far as EVs and range extraction is concerned. However, there will always be a need for horses for courses, and the SUV will exist for people who need them. Just look at Ford, GM, Rivian etc who already have offerings in this space.

Compact SUVs/EVs will be dominant, trying to meet the demands of both practicality as well as range.

[UD17]

I kind of agree to this point. Look at Hummer EV at USA and the overall sentiments about its impact on environment. The drag efficiency plays a significant role in range efficiency and we are already witnessing the design language changing very fast (examples Hyundai, VW group etc.)

[Abhi_Automobile]

On the contrary, with the world going EV, I think SUVs will proliferate even more. The number of coupe-ish SUVs could increase though. Look at Model Y for reference

Reasons:

• Fuel efficiency is taken care of as EVs are much cheaper to run, especially with home-charing. While this gap will reduce in future, EVs will still remain significantly cheaper than ICE counterpart to run

• Demand could spur companies to put bigger battery packs in SUVs, and therefore price these SUVs higher. In general - higher the cost, more the margin

• Today higher upfront cost of EVs make their business case weaker from an economic standpoint. This gap will reduce further as battery manufacturing is commoditised at scale. A lot of people will buy "close enough" priced EV SUV over an equivalent ICE SUV. Well positioned EV - take Model 3 for e.g. (priced at par with 3 series/C class ICE) have sold quite well

[Raghu M]

I can bet that his statements won't make sense even after a decade from now. Example - Citroen's success in India. If he was so sure of market predictions, he would have had a better strategy for India.