Weight of EVs prompts safety concerns about impact of crashes

As nan number of electric vehicles on U.S. roads continues to rise, interest has emerged astir nan expertise of existing information infrastructure to grip their accrued weight. Guardrails and different roadside information barriers, typically tested against vehicles weighing astir 5,000 pounds, are now being challenged by EVs that often transcend that weight.

In January, a 2021 Tesla crashed into a guardrail connected the 405 Freeway in Irvine, California. The conveyance appears to person smashed done nan obstruction and careened disconnected nan roadway, yet sidesplitting nan driver.

Researchers astatine nan University of Nebraska are testing really U.S. infrastructure matches up to EVs. They collapsed a 7,000-pound electrical pickup — weighing 2,000 pounds much than a gas-powered pickup — astatine 62 mph into actual barriers commonly utilized arsenic freeway medians. The barriers contained nan collision, but chunks of actual were sent flying, and respective of nan 5,000-pound barriers were pushed backmost 10 feet — 50% much than normal.

"Unfortunately, these guardrail systems, which person performed very good pinch gasoline vehicles historically, do not look to beryllium containing electrical vehicles erstwhile impacting nan akin types of conditions," said Cody Stolle, a University of Nebraska subordinate professor who has been studying nan issue.

Nebraska Republican Sen. Deb Fischer said location has to beryllium a greater consciousness regarding nan existent standards for guardrails and barriers to promote further research.

"It was eye-opening. There was a batch of damage. And again, if location would've been vehicles connected nan different broadside of that barrier, we would've seen a terrible accident," said Fischer.

A guardrail is expected to activity by containing a conveyance and redirecting it backmost toward nan road. But successful a caller trial by nan Texas Transportation Institute, a modular guardrail grounded erstwhile an electrical sedan deed it, raising further concerns astir nan expertise of existing infrastructure to grip nan heavier weight of EVs.

More than 19,000 group died successful crashes wherever their conveyance near nan roadway past year, according to nan National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This makes up astir half of each postulation deaths. Guardrails and akin roadway barriers are designed to trim nan number and severity of these crashes.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy are concerned astir nan further weight from EVs causing much terrible crashes.

"Our guardrails and clang attenuators, they are rated up to 5,000 pounds. Many of these [electric] vehicles spell up to 10,000 pounds, truthful that has an effect connected safety," Homendy said during a Senate proceeding successful March.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that half of all new car sales will be EVs by 2032, leaving constricted clip to reside these concerns and upgrade roadside information barriers.

In:
• NTSB
• Electric Vehicles
• National Transportation Safety Board