EV explainer: Three reasons I love a good frunk

“If you make a good frunk, people will use it.”

I came across this statement while listening to a podcast or reading an article somewhere recently, but can’t seem to find the source. And no Google, I do not mean a good drunk.

It is a statement I fully agree with after owning an EV for 6 years and testing many different EV models. So what actually makes a good frunk? 

First and foremost it needs to be easy to open from both inside and out, otherwise you won’t bother using it. From the outside you should not have to open the driver’s door (or passenger door, Mustang Mach-E), pull a bonnet lever, twice in some cases, and then fiddle with a bonnet latch just to access the frunk.

On my Model 3 I appreciate how easy it is to swipe down on my phone screen to reveal the digital key notification and press the bonnet button, from anywhere within bluetooth range of the car. Several aftermarket solutions exist for Teslas that also add gas or electronic struts to raise and/or lower the bonnet automatically, making it even easier.

If you have one of the refreshed Tesla vehicles and a compatible phone that supports the ultrawide band key, you can enable the hands free frunk opening feature (also available for the boot) where you just stand in front of the car for a few seconds to automatically open it. 

Unless hands free opening is well calibrated I imagine it could be annoying, similar to cars that automatically unlock themselves as you approach when you are just walking past with no intention of getting into your car. Perhaps a kick-sensor on the frunk could work well? I have not seen any cars with kick-activated frunks though, only boots. 

While watching a video about the new Xiaomi YU7, the reviewer showed how you can speak to the car from the outside and ask it to open the boot or frunk, which is cool, and should prevent false openings from other types of hands free systems.

Before getting into my top 3 reasons below, it is worth acknowledging that some Australians would prefer we call them froots, short for front boot, which does make more sense here. However, I feel like we are stuck with frunk now, given how widespread and well known the term has become. 

Now that we’ve got our frunks open and terminology out of the way, these are the 3 top reasons I love using mine. 

1. Extra storage space

This is the most obvious reason, but is often under-appreciated and unfortunately overlooked by many manufacturers who fit their cars with tiny frunks or none at all. For what is possible, look no further than the Lucid Air which is a masterclass in packaging, embarrassing the competition as Jason from Engineering Explained describes below.

While slightly smaller than the Lucid Air’s 280 L frunk, the Lucid Gravity SUV pictured at the top of this article features a frunk seat, flexible and washable area measuring 226 L that is bigger than the boot of some small hatchbacks.

Too many medium and large electric SUVs have disappointingly small frunks, such as the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9. Sure, these cars have big boots and tons of storage space anyway, but if they had big frunks that were easy to open I am sure people would end up using them for something.

The amount of cargo space in my Model 3 still surprises me after all these years, but for road trips I always find that extra space in the frunk helpful, especially when my father-in-law joins us on family holidays and we’ve got 5 people plus luggage, surfboards, bodyboards and fishing gear all crammed in.

At the start of a holiday I generally fill the frunk with soft and squashy things like towels, linen, shoes and thongs. It is also handy for chucking in last minute things like the frisbee or an extension cord to charge the car while away.

2. Wet storage area

Heading back home after a beach holiday, our frunk is always filled with wet swimmers and towels, after making the most of the final morning and catching those last few waves. The Model 3 frunk does not have a drainage hole like some EVs (new Model Y, Mustang Mach-E) but the hard plastic is easily wiped clean and dry with a towel afterwards.

A wet storage area in the frunk also comes in handy for regular trips to the beach during summer or throwing in wet or dirty hiking gear. Jokes about using the Model Y or Mach-E frunk as an ice-filled esky have been made too, which I guess could come in handy if you’ve forgotten to bring your normal esky somewhere.

3. Pizza or takeaway compartment

Another thing I love about a frunk is that it is completely separate from the car cabin, making it the perfect place to stow your takeaway pizza or BBQ chicken without stinking out your car. Maybe the food smells great while you’re hungry, but you probably don’t want your car smelling like a BBQ chicken for days on end.

Similar to the wet storage area point above, it’s also handy storing your takeaway in the frunk in case of spills, which are far easier to clean up and less smelly compared to if they had spilled onto the carpet or boot area.

For example, the tabouli that comes from our favourite chicken shop is prone to spilling, and sometimes it even manages to leak through the reusable shopping bag.

What else do you love using your frunk for? Please share it with us in the comments below, and don’t underestimate the value of a good frunk when buying your next EV.