Are Electric Vehicles Safer In An Auto Accident?
The passengers in electric vehicles (EV) tend to fare better in an auto accident because of the extra weight an electric car or truck carries, but not so much for the other vehicle (if gas powered). That’s correct, battery powered cars and battery powered trucks tend to be heavier than regular (gas) powered car and trucks and some of the difference in weight can be significant. That extra weight tends to benefit some and put others at greater risk, especially when it comes to safety. As mentioned in my previous blog posts: In the Battle of the bulge, the big one wins.
How Much More Do EV Trucks Weigh Than Gas Powered?
EV Trucks weigh 2 times more than a comparable gas powered truck and 3 times more than a gas powered car. The EV truck batteries alone weigh as much as many cars. For example, the 2022 GMC Hummer EV weighs 9,063 pounds and the big battery alone weighs 2,923 pounds. Compare that weight to a full size 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 weighs 4,883 pounds and a 2022 Nissan Sentra only weighs 3,036 pounds. Yes, you read that right: the new, more environmentally friendly GMC Hummer weighs nearly 2 times the Chevy Silverado and 3 times more than the Nissan Sentra. The battery alone weighs almost as much as the Nissan Sentra.
Are Electric Trucks Safer Than Gas Powered Trucks?
Because EV trucks weigh more than gas powered trucks, the occupants of heavy vehicles tend to fare better in an auto accident than a gas powered truck. Michael Anderson, the University of California professor who co-authored the study: Pounds that Kill: The External Costs of Vehicle Weight states:
“Really what it’s doing is essentially pushing the other vehicle that you crash into out of the way and subjecting you to gentler deceleration forces.”
Meaning, in a collision the bigger EV truck is slowing down more gently because he is pushing the other vehicle (and possibly crunching or collapsing that vehicle).
What About a Collision between an EV truck and a Pedestrian?
The impact between an EV truck and a pedestrian would be even worse than if hit by a gas powered vehicle. This problem caught the attention of federal regulators and in March 2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed updating the five-star safety ratings programs for new cars by rating cars with pedestrians and new pedestrian detection systems in mind to get high marks.
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