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hybrid cars?

why are most hybrid cars really slanted in the front and generally much rounder or oval-like? They're just weird looking, and maybe if they would actually make them look like other normal cars more people would buy them... me included.

Public Comments

1. the new 2007 lexus GS450H is a hybrid and it looks normal! its even fast too. 4 drs looks just like a regular sedan. 0-60 in like 5.2 secs
2. I have a Honda civic hybrid and it's the same as a regular civic. The only difference is the rear mini spoiler.
3. To understand that you have to see what is all entitled to putting one of these together, not to mention the electronics that is in this. For example where the Hybrid battery is located needs to be in a secure place and these batteries are huge. So the structure of the vehicle has to be just right to protect these batteries and in a event of a crash they really have to be protected. Which is why you get that oval looking look. I provided a link for you..scroll all the way down to the bottom to see the battery that is just one example.
4. It looks like you're talking about the Prius or the Insight, which do have sloped fronts and are oval-like. The Prius is all about fuel economy and so was designed to reduce air friction with its shape. There are plenty of other hybrid vehicles out there that aren't rounder or oval-like, however. For example, the Toyota Camry Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid are all available today. They are shaped just like their gas only counterparts. The only noticeable outward difference is a small badge or two indicating they are hybrids. I talk about hybrid cars here: http://hybridreview.blogspot.com
5. The shape of the Prius (I assume that's which one you were referring to) is the way it is because that is the most slippery shape in the wind without making the passengers have to compromise too much. And by compromise, I mean passenger and cargo volume, safety, noise levels, gas mileage, and aesthetics. I'll give you an extremely simplified idea of what is involved with that shape. The Prius has a coefficient of drag (Cd) of .26 and to give you an idea of how slippery that is, the new Corvette has a Cd of .27. There are other parts to the use of Cd in how something moves through a fluid (air is considered fluid), but let's not turn this into an engineering study. A Cd of 1.0 means that all air has stopped moving in front of an object (think of a wall). So the higher the number, the more pressure an object makes as it moves and the less efficient it is. The Prius also has the front end it does because it does not have a regular transmission and doesn't have to have the long hood to make room for one. It uses what's called a continuously variable gearing system, much smaller and much more efficient than a regular transmission. Also, the Prius is a hatchback, and doesn't need to have the long back end for a trunk. And the Prius is actually sculpted with air channels along the underside of the car, so that air flows along causing as little drag as possible. As I said, this is extremely simplified, but the basic idea is you're trying to get the most mileage you can without making everyone lay down flat on the floor of the car with the roof an inch from your back.
6. In general, most hybrid cars look like space ships to help improve aerodynamics. Because most (though definitely not all) of these cars have very small, lower powered engines than straight gas burners, they want to get the lowest mpg rating possible, and the less drag on the car the better. But as hybrid cars come more and more common I'm sure the exterior designs will change to become more appealing.
7. Search for CNG India Vehicles. See Honda.com Civic Model GX Consider Liquid Propane Option Retool Existing Engine at cost of 2 to 6 thousand knowing propane made from natural gas is better to burn than petrol. Cleaner. .....................Think outside the box.
8. i think they do this for wind resistance reasons, the less wind resistance the better gas mileage and performance.