Will EVs ever become "classics"?

[white_goodman]

Thoughts on this? My thinking being that a lot of classic cars (but not all) are defined by a great engine and there's something timeless/"instant classic" about the combination of a great engine and a manual gearbox in particular, whereas a 1st gen/2nd gen electric vehicle is going to be as outdated in technological terms in 10+ years time as any other piece of 10+ year old electrical equipment. However, there are great "classic" cars that aren't necessarily defined by a great engine but great/innovative design (Beetle/Mini/2CV/Fiat 500/Citroen DS/Land Rover etc).

So I'm not sure, I have no "want" for most EVs, many of the "cooler" ones are a little contrived (Ioniq 5) or unimpressive in terms of range/efficiency for the price and I am impressed by some (Tesla Model 3) I guess but does that make it a future "classic"? Probably not.

So if I had to guess, I'd say:

Original Tesla Roadster (first Tesla and quite cool)

BMW i3 - not amazing in terms of range/performance but still looks fresh/futuristic and innovative interior/construction. BMW's original A-Class/A2 but cooler than both and more interesting than the more generic electric BMWs that followed it.

Mk2 Nissan Leaf - one of the first legacy entrants into the EV realm. Not super exciting but practical, relatively affordable and decent range in mk2 form. Better looking too. The first electric "people's" car.

VW eGolf - much hype over the id3 but actually a bit underwhelming when it finally came out. eGolf was an electric version of possibly the best Golf (mk7). Practical and easy to use/interact with, if not the best range. Great car.

VW iDBuzz - don't know how good it actually is but purely on style.

Honda e and Fiat 500e get a pass on style and character too.

Jaguar iPace - again, Jaguar being one of the first "premium" brands to throw their hat into the ring was a surprise. A bold new look for Jaguar but still managed to look like a Jaguar and hopefully the first of many Jaguar electric vehicles (a modern electric XJ would have been amazing though).

And for me, that's about it so far. Everything else just seems either too "white goods", too contrived or too compromised for the price.

One could argue for the Taycan being the first "driver's" EV and being pretty fast but it's pretty ugly, not that practical or that impressive in terms of efficiency/range really. eTronGT is better-looking than the Taycan IMHO but suffers the same compromises.

The future looks a bit more promising with the electric Renault 5 and electric VW GTI in particular on their way though.

So will any of today's EVs become future classics or are we not there yet?

Edited by white_goodman on Saturday 27th January 19:42

[Mr Squarekins]

I see no reason why not.

[biggbn]

Who'd have thought the humble mini, beetle, fiesta, escort, whatever would have become classics?

[ChrisH79]

It’s all about when not if. Everything becomes a classic eventually, what’s desirable is a personal thing.

[white_goodman]

Mr Squarekins said:

I see no reason why not.

Agree but not a pure EV and seems a bit limp next to a V10 R8? ie looks as fast as but isn't.

[white_goodman]

biggbn said:

Who'd have thought the humble mini, beetle, fiesta, escort, whatever would have become classics?

I think Mini and Beetle were pretty much instant classics? The Fords took a little longer.

[Yahonza]

white_goodman said:

Mr Squarekins said:

I see no reason why not.

Agree but not a pure EV and seems a bit limp next to a V10 R8? ie looks as fast as but isn't.

It's an EV according to the purists so I agree that might be a future classic.

[Muzzer79]

Of course they’ll be classics.

The cars of yesteryear are now outdated, unreliable, slow and surpassed in every way by current technology.

Not everything was a design icon but in a world where a stbox like an Austin Allegro is a classic, current EVs will be too in good time.

[biggbn]

white_goodman said:

biggbn said:

Who'd have thought the humble mini, beetle, fiesta, escort, whatever would have become classics?

I think Mini and Beetle were pretty much instant classics? The Fords took a little longer.

I don't think they were instant classics. The beetle wasn't even really appreciated until they started selling them as economy cars in the US and they were adopted into 60s culture.

[Hoink]

Muzzer79 said:

Of course they’ll be classics.

The cars of yesteryear are now outdated, unreliable, slow and surpassed in every way by current technology.

That will always be the case when comparing new to old.

[Diderot]

Rimac Nevera.

[Mr Squarekins]

white_goodman said:

Mr Squarekins said:

I see no reason why not.

Agree but not a pure EV and seems a bit limp next to a V10 R8? ie looks as fast as but isn't.

Most future classics fit that criteria too. I8 is all carbon, interesting tech, unique. Whereas the Audi, by contrast really not any of those. Classics seem to come in all forms, many not that great, just interesting. AC Cobra is a perfect example.

[fatboy b]

Style-wise some will. Realistically the cost to replace a battery to keep them going will naturally kill them.

[swisstoni]

Cars don’t mean what they used to.
Especially as so many are rented as a temporary service rather than as a posession.

So, no, I don’t think the cars of today will be thought of any more fondly than a copy of Windows 98 is now.

[Rumdoodle]

Plenty of criteria for classics these days. I wonder what the criteria for classic electric cars will be.

People will have to preserve them, which means careful owners hanging onto them for long periods and either minimising wear and tear by limiting use or undertaking nut and bolt restorations every couple of decades. Or leaving them in a barn to be discovered decades in the future - what will a barn find Youtube video be like when someone uncovers a Taycan that hasn't been touched for thirty years?

DIY maintenance and tuning - are people getting their hands dirty, figuring out how they work and fiddling around with them at home?

Accessible motorsport - are people racing and rallying them?

High-level motorsport - what will it take for a modern electric to be the next GT40 or 250GTO?

Will anyone be interested in a restomod electric? A lot of the gripes about electric cars at the moment are met with confident declarations that things will be much better in a few years' time. When the range of today's electric Porsche or Jaguar is considered hopelessly inadequate, will people pay to have them re-engineered at no expense spared, like with a Singer 911?

[NH-0]

I think this will be a classic, so why not an EV.

[white_goodman]

Muzzer79 said:

Of course they’ll be classics.

The cars of yesteryear are now outdated, unreliable, slow and surpassed in every way by current technology.

Not everything was a design icon but in a world where a stbox like an Austin Allegro is a classic, current EVs will be too in good time.

Perhaps I should have said "collectible" not "classic". Not every st old car is a classic in my view. My first car was a mk3 Astra 1.4. Not a great car at the time and even less desirable now. Not a classic in my view. A 205 GTi though, rightly revered as one of the best hot hatches of the 80s is certainly a classic in my view. Allegro does nothing for me but had some interesting engineering elements and could be considered as an ironic classic I guess because they were so s***.

Old Fords are an exception I suppose. Lots of nostalgia for old Fords and because they were so popular and cheap, lots of people had them as first cars. I imagine an XR2 might be a fairly fun thing to have in the garage for a Sunday morning blast, a 1.1 less so.

[Gordon Hill]

swisstoni said:

Cars don’t mean what they used to.
Especially as so many are rented as a temporary service rather than as a posession.

So, no, I don’t think the cars of today will be thought of any more fondly than a copy of Windows 98 is now.

I agree, cars are by and large a means,to an end now for a lot of people and tend to have no interest in them any more than they would a kettle. So while some stand out models may achieve classic status I think that the vast majority will be quickly forgotten.

[ben5575]

i3 & i8

Blank page design - none of the retrofitting ev into existing platforms or current playing safe, dull carp that's currently being produced.
Look great
First of their kind
Loved by current and past owners
Reliable
Carbon fibre tubbed BMW

Tesla Model X

[biggbn]

Gordon Hill said:

swisstoni said:

Cars don’t mean what they used to.
Especially as so many are rented as a temporary service rather than as a posession.

So, no, I don’t think the cars of today will be thought of any more fondly than a copy of Windows 98 is now.

I agree, cars are by and large a means,to an end now for a lot of people and tend to have no interest in them any more than they would a kettle. So while some stand out models may achieve classic status I think that the vast majority will be quickly forgotten.

But surely that the way it always has been. Car enthusiasts are an anomaly, a significant minority. For most, buying a car has always been about buying the best, most affordable tool for a job.