Climate change and the consequent more restrictive regulations are pushing the industry towards higher efficiency and lower emissions means of transport. The road transport sector is deeply affected, leading the main Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to start the transition to alternative powertrains, among which Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) are the faster-growing. The large, heavy, and safety-critical battery pack asks for a specific optimized solution for a lightweight and high-performance vehicle platform. In this research, a first benchmarking analysis is presented to study the current state-of-the-art for BEV underbody and battery pack designs. Following this investigation, a classification scheme was designed to allow easier comparison between different solutions, pointing out the most relevant characteristics and best design choices.