The U.S. and the world are working on cutting carbon emissions as rapidly as possible to slow climate change. One way to do that is to reduce the number of vehicles using internal combustion engines and replace them with electric vehicles (EVs).
And there is great excitement around that initiative.
The head of the National Transportation Safety Board, Jennifer Homendy, shares that excitement but is raising concerns about the impact EVs have on traffic safety.
Why the concern?
EVs are heavy vehicles, their excess weight tied to the size of the battery pack each must carry to power the vehicle.
And there are safety risks when heavy vehicles collide with lighter vehicles.
“I’m concerned about the increased risk of severe injury and death for all road users from heavier curb weights and increasing size, power, and performance of vehicles on our roads, including electric vehicles,” Homedy said. “We have to be careful that we aren’t also creating unintended consequences: More death on our roads. Safety, especially when it comes to new transportation policies and new technologies, cannot be overlooked.”
Homendy gave the example of an electric GMC Hummer to make her point. The EV Hummer weighs about 9,000 pounds, with a battery pack weighing 2,900 pounds. The weight of the batteries alone equals the weight of a Honda Civic.
She gave other examples of weight disparities as well. Ford’s EV F-150 Lightning pickup is 3,000 pounds heavier than the same model’s gas-powered version. The Mustang Mach E electric SUV and the Volvo XC40 EV are approximately 33% heavier than their gas-powered versions.
Another concern about EVs is how rapidly they can accelerate. More drivers should be trained to handle rapid acceleration, which can also lead to accidents.
Can the dangers posed by EVs be mitigated?
Perhaps.
Lighter battery packs are being developed to reduce these vehicles’ curb weight. Many EVs also have accident-avoidance technology that should help minimize crash incidence and severity.
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