Preliminary test results released Thursday suggest highway guardrails may be no match for large electric vehicles (EVs), raising concerns about the nation’s roadside safety systems.
The Midwest Highway Safety Facility at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln conducted crash tests using an approximately 4-ton 2022 Rivian R1T.
It reportedly came as no surprise to researchers when a pickup truck crashed through a metal guardrail and crashed into a concrete barrier, barely slowing down.
“We knew it was going to be a very tough test of our roadside safety systems,” said Cody Stoll, a member of the facility. Said Associated Press. “This system is not built to handle vehicles over 5,000 pounds.”
The crash test was aimed at seeing how the guardrails that line tens of thousands of miles of U.S. roads would hold up against EVs that are thousands of pounds heavier than the average gasoline-powered sedan. .
Cody Stoll, an engineer with the University of Nebraska Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, discusses the potential impact that heavy electric vehicles could have on the nation’s roadside guardrail systems. Preliminary crash tests conducted last fall showed that current guardrails did little to prevent a Tesla electric sedan or a 4-ton Rivian pickup truck from leaving the roadway at high speeds. . (AP Photo/Margery Beck)
of report They concluded that the nation’s guardrails simply weren’t built to handle vehicles over 5,000 pounds.
This difference is because EVs typically weigh between 20 and 50 percent more than conventionally powered vehicles, thanks to oversized batteries that can weigh almost as much as a small gasoline or diesel car.
And the center of gravity is lower.
“EV adoption…is not growing as fast as we or the industry expected.” https://t.co/EO3ZQfTTRE
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) November 22, 2023
All of these factors combine to mean that steel guardrails typically do little to stop electric cars from crashing through them, at least according to university research.
Transportation officials are sounding the alarm over the weight disparity between new battery-powered vehicles and lightweight gasoline-powered vehicles after crash test results come as EVs soar in popularity, the Associated Press notes. .
Last year, the National Transportation Safety Board express concern The safety risks posed when large electric vehicles collide with lighter vehicles further call into question the viability of EVs for wider public use.
You bet your bippy. https://t.co/tQ2ygTUl7a
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) December 1, 2023
As Breitbart News reported, the report follows another study that showed heavy electric vehicles cause twice as much damage to road surfaces as internal combustion engine vehicles.
A 2023 UK study led by the University of Leeds found that the average electric car puts 2.24 times more stress on the road than a similar petrol car and 1.95 times more stress than a diesel car. Large electric vehicles can cause up to 2.32 times more damage to roads.
The pressure on the road can cause the asphalt to move more, causing small cracks that can eventually grow into potholes, forcing local authorities to repair the damage.
