German car makers ditch futuristic designs for familiar visuals in new EV’s IAA Mobility Fair 2025 in Munich

Munich is currently hosting one of the world’s largest mobility trade fairs, the IAA Mobility show, with the spotlight firmly on the automobile industry’s transition away from combustion engines toward electric vehicles (EVs). While EVs are widely seen as the future, European carmakers—especially the Germans—are looking to the past in terms of design, blending modern technology with retro styling to win over reluctant consumers.

Volkswagen’s Chief Designer, Andreas Mindt, told Deutsche Welle that the company’s new EVs are being developed with a “friendly, familiar face” rather than the futuristic, minimalist aesthetic that characterized earlier models. The shift reflects broader industry challenges: despite heavy investment, electric cars still account for less than 16% of market share in Europe. Carmakers are therefore prioritizing brand familiarity to attract mainstream buyers.

This trend was evident across the Munich fair. Mercedes-Benz announced that its upcoming vehicles will unify design elements across both combustion and electric models, under the motto “Welcome Home.” For BMW, the new electric iX3 SUV boasts a sleek, modern build but retains the brand’s iconic kidney-shaped grille—modelled after the 1960s “Neue Klasse” series—to reinforce continuity with its heritage.

Volkswagen’s embrace of retro cues is particularly symbolic. The company only pivoted seriously to electric mobility after the 2015 diesel emissions scandal. The new CEO at the time, Herbert Diess championed electrification, inspired by Tesla’s success, and oversaw the launch of Volkswagen’s first purpose-built EV, the ID.3. Despite initial software glitches, which led to the CEO being dismissed, the ID.3 became one of Europe’s top-selling battery-electric cars.

Yet Diess’s vision of sleek, futuristic models has now given way to a more nostalgic approach under current leadership. Just before this year’s IAA Mobility show, Volkswagen announced it would abandon the “ID” numbering convention in favour of names tied to legacy models. The ID.2, for example, will now be called the ID.Polo, reviving a name familiar to generations of drivers.

Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen, explained the reasoning: “You’ve got to stay modern, you’ve got to stay ahead of the curve. But you have to stay true to the brand, too.” The ID.Polo reflects that philosophy, adopting a slimmer profile, sharper lines, exposed wheel arches, and a sturdier overall look. Inside, Volkswagen is restoring physical buttons for functions like climate control—a feature customers demanded after struggling with touch-only interfaces.

Mindt added that even small design choices were made to convey reliability, citing the car’s thick rear lights: “They look like thick glass, whiskey glasses, you know what I mean? It’s not like a champagne glass, which breaks.” 

Such choices aim to provide reassurance to buyers at a time when EVs remain politically divisive, particularly with the rise of populist movements and the return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, which has fuelled renewed debates over electric mobility.

Competition from Chinese automakers, who are advancing rapidly in the EV sector, also weighs heavily on European firms. For Mindt, however, the solution lies in design that feels “uplifting.” Even if consumers cannot articulate why they prefer it, he believes the ID.Polo’s mix of modern technology and nostalgic familiarity will resonate.

In Munich, the message from German automakers is clear: to make EVs truly mainstream, the future of mobility must carry the reassuring face of the past.

By Nazrin Sadigova