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Just to note: These are design patents, not utility patents. They protect look and feel. IE you'd only infringe by having a windshield that looks the same, not a windshield that does the same thing or operates the same way, but looked different than the protectable parts.

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Am I correct in thinking that since a design patent protects ornamental design, then if a design is necessary for functional reasons, the design patent doesn't protect it? That you couldn't design patent a wheel looking like a circle, because that is a necessary part of its utility?

Because the filed complaint itself seems to admit that the protected fuselage shape is necessary to achieve the ~0.37 drag coefficient that both vehicles have, which it also admits is necessary to attain appropriate range on EVs of this class.

That is correct, it does not protect functional portions, but it's fairly nuanced.

https://www.wintechblog.com/2016/04/functional-features-in-d... is some recent caselaw on this

I’d also like to add that the claimed elements appear in solid lines; broken lines are to show visible environmental structure and are not part of the claim.

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