Interesting read but the problem remains for manufacturers that the things they want to sell have to appeal to buyers. EV's or not. I'm sure that some people will buy a streamlined bike or car but the 'look' is a bit of a challenge for the majority of people at the moment.

Which is why things like the VW XL1 are important because they prepare the way for things like the VW Scirroco and future versions of that.

The current state of electric vehicles are really one step up from the show prototypes. They need the aero help. So they should be a good showcase for what's possible. Even a simple style change like covered rear wheels and smooth surfaced front wheels could be made acceptable by being used on electric vehicles first. Fuel economy is already a selling point in most markets so keep pushing the market towards acceptance of aerodynamics as a style.

What we shouldn't be doing with electric vehicles is copying the worst and most inefficient designs the way the BMW i3 tries to look like a "futuristic" SUV. Even the rather ugly Prius is preferable to that.

Motorcyclists are notoriously conservative in their feelings about style. So there's not much chance of properly streamlined sports bikes while they're banned in racing. And they don't look like a pastiche of a 50s bike gang so won't appeal to the cruiser people. But then there's big scooters and European style touring. The BMW, Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha big scooters could be so much more aerodynamic while still retaining the big luggage space and all their strengths and utility.

I agree. But even I struggle with some areo shapes and I like to think that I'm pretty open-minded. Agreed the XL1 is a good step forward and peoples 'taste' (including mine) is notoriously fickle. Just look back at bikes and cars from 20 years ago and they look somehow old-fashioned, yet at the time we all thought they were great.
The future will be interesting and probably nothing like how we imagine :)