Safety Concerns of Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly favored around the world, and for all the good reasons. Not only are they cleaner and more sustainable for the environment, but they are also safer than conventional cars. The future of automotive industry is electric, but many people still worry about the safety standards of today's electric vehicles.?

Public opinion about EV safety often rises due to a few high-profile fire incidents. Those safety questions are often misunderstood, and the actual safety of EVs is more subtle.?

The question of burning?

EVs and the traditional internal combustion vehicles undergo the same crash-testing procedures to evaluate their crashing behaviors and passenger protection.?

Crash tests are carried out using dummies representing normal-sized male and small female passengers to evaluate the risk of injuries. The tests can evaluate fire hazard which is either caused by thermal runaway – when lithium-ion batteries undergo rapid uncontrollable heating due to ruptured EV batteries or gas tank leaks of internal combustion vehicles. While real-world data reports on vehicle fires caused by EV batteries are limited, it appears that media and social media experts on EV fire hazard are definitely blowing this issue out of proportion.??

Weight also matters?

What makes EV’s safety standards stand out is that crash test results, field injury data and injury claims reveal that EVs are superior to their internal combustion counterparts when it comes to protecting their passengers.?

Most of the advantages offered by EVs boils down to a blend of physics and cutting-edge technologies.?

Due to their heavyweight battery packs positioned at the base of the car, EVs are capable to carry comparably more weight and enjoy lower center of gravity than traditional internal combustion vehicles. This placement of battery significantly reduces the events of rolling over of cars, which usually have a high fatality rate. Moreover, crash dynamics indicate that in a collision between two vehicles, the heavier one holds a considerable advantage because it doesn't slow down as abruptly, a factor strongly linked to passenger injuries.?

As the technological advancements are happening rapidly, newer models of EVs are now equipped with state-of-the-art safety systems, ranging from advanced energy-absorbing materials to cutting-edge crash avoidance systems and upgraded seatbelt and air-bag setups. These features collectively bolster occupant protection.