(May 29): When BMW unveiled its next generation of electric vehicles the i4 and the iX SUV in March, their faces generated at least as much chatter as their electric guts. There on the front of both was BMW’s design hallmark: two kidney-shaped grilles. But these were far bigger than the kidneys on the automaker’s gas-burning models and seemingly turned upright, with a glossy black lattice in place of the trademark vertical bars. They seemed like an anachronism. With no engine sitting behind them, and no radiator pulling in air, why bother?
Kickstart: Plastics and a high-profile truck
Plastics and a high-profile truck
When Ford Motor Co. rolled out its aluminum-bodied F-150 truck, it also introduced all-LED headlights that included a distinctive light pipe pattern around the light. It was a case where plastics made it possible for the truck to stand out. It is a new design language, Gordon Platto, chief designer of the F-150, said in 2014 following the truck s introduction. It gives a unique character to the truck s front end, especially at night.
Now light pipes are being used to help a new 150 stand out: the all-electric F-150 Lightning, introduced May 19.