Electric vehicles will do more than revolutionize automotive propulsion. They will revolutionize automotive aesthetics. Remove the engine and you open up new design areas to explore.

We’re already seeing it. The three-wheel Aptera 2e pushes the boundaries of auto design. The Fisker Karma (shown) proves EVs can be sexy. And once glimpse inside the Chevrolet Volt makes it clear you’re looking at an entirely new kind of car.

We’re on the cusp of a new era, and some of the biggest designers in the auto business got together in Detroit this week to discuss where it might lead. According to Autoweek’s account, they drew comparisons to Formula 1. EVs, like F1s, must balance weight distribution, aerodynamics and appearance in the pursuit of speed and efficiency. The greatest freedom of design will be at the front of the car, the designers said. Lose the engine and you’ve got all kinds of latitude when it comes to the grille and the hood. Interiors will grow roomier because EV drivetrains are smaller.

That’s not to say every car will be as outlandish as the Aptera.

“People who spend money on technology . . . want to wear that on their sleeve,” said Bob Boniface, design director for the Volt, according to Autoweek. “[But] it does still need to have one foot in the mainstream so it fits in people’s lives.”