Tesla’s Macintosh 191
issues were constantly evaluated. “The hardest thing to do
with a blue-sky project like this is to contain yourself. It
is easy to overshoot,” von Holzhausen said. “The Karma
[Fisker Automotive’s car] is a great example of that.”^239
Designing an electric car is different compared with
designing a gasoline car. The advantage with the car pow-
ered by electricity is that the designer has much more space
to work with. In the Model S, von Holzhausen realized
almost everything above the wheels would be free to mold.
The small electric motor didn’t use much space, and the
batteries formed the bottom of the car. Because of all free
space, von Holzhausen could live up to Elon’s demands.
Seven people could sit in the car, including two small
children in the trunk. With seven people in the car, it’s still
possible to have luggage in the front trunk, or the “frunk”
as Tesla calls the front trunk.^51
Another aspect the designer of an electric car has to
consider is to optimize the design to lower the wind noise.
The wind noise in a gasoline car is not audible because
of the noise from the engine, but an electric car is silent.
Some drivers are not used to the silence, so engineers
have suggested adding a fake gasoline engine sound. “Some
people are going to miss the sound of a roaring engine,
just like people used to miss the sound of horse hooves
clippity-clopping down the street,” Eberhard said.^272 But
some drivers enjoy the silence. “I opened the sun roof,
rolled down the windows, and I pulled out,” one electric
car driver said. “It was like a magic carpet. You hear people
laughing, talking, and you’re interacting with the city.”^381