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Will EVs bring back coupes?

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One can only dream…

There was a time, decades ago, when coupes were actually ruling the American auto landscape. Not only many models were only available with 2 doors, like the Mustang, Camaro, Monte Carlo, Cordoba, and so many others, but most sedans also offered 2 door versions, like the Cadillac Deville. Pretty much all US sedans were also available as 2 door coupes. For a very long time.

That of course has slowly disappeared. In the past few years, regular sedans have also been taken over by SUVs. But curiously, the EV revolution seems to be bringing back sedans. Mostly because of the phenomenal success of the Tesla Model 3, which has become one of the best-selling cars in the world and the 13th best-selling car in the US. It seems other manufacturers don’t really know why the Model 3 is so popular, but they all want to have at least one EV sedan, just in case.

So far, there has been no 2 door coupe… I don’t mean the Tesla Roadster or Fisker Onin which will be billionaire toys. I mean the coupes we used to have, a sleeker 4 seater with 2 doors that most people could actually afford. (Although there will probably be EV versions of the Mustang and Camaro in a few years.)

I just wonder who will be the first… And will it catch on?

Conversation 4 comments

  1. All of these look absolutely beautiful and quite appropriate for the growing demographic of aging retirees. I would also like to see some shooting brakes out there in the market. Older and retired increasingly means more active. Shooting brakes would be an excellent choice.

  3. I always felt like the reason that coupes disappeared is the same reason we’re seeing sedans (and wagons) drop like flies: 1) They started making them so they were the cheap alternative, built off their economy cars. Not a stylish upgrade! ; 2) rooflines started to become interolerably low, as if they were sports cars (without being sports cars), and were just more difficult to get into and lost all their headroom. As crash protection made the windows smaller, those lower rooflines made them difficult to see out of; 3) they started sacrificing more of the trunk/hatchspace and backseats, at a time when people were gravitating towards easier to get into and more space friendly (SUVs) cars – so instead, remaining sedans got crazy long (and harder to park) as well as being penalty boxes. If you can only buy ONE car, you need it to be a bit of an everything vehicle. Not less. My first car was an 95 Integra and it was like having a mini pickup in the hatch. A bit of an everything car. But the over last 15 yrs, coupe’s, wagons, sedans, all went in the aero direction….and lost market share. I would really love a modern interpretation of the 1989 Honda Accord Coupe. But instead, only Subaru is making the rooflines high enough with their more upright wagons.

  4. Ah, if only we lived in a world of renders! I’d have myself rendered as a younger George Clooney living in a rendered Frank Lloyd Wright house on a rendered Lake Geneva.

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