Electric vehicles, such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E, always weigh more than petrol cars of the same size – Photo: Drive
Average car weight in the world has increased in the past few years as SUVs have replaced sedans as the best-selling segment in many countries. However, this parameter may skyrocket in the future when SUVs or electric pickups appear even more popular with the usual weight of up to tons.
According to the US National Transportation Safety Board, they are studying the potential hazard from heavy electric vehicles to vehicles/people crashing as vehicle weights in the US are starting to regularly exceed the 4-ton threshold because of some certain electric SUVs/pickups.
In December of last year, North American crash-testing organization IIHS gave the Rivian R1T electric pickup truck a Top Safety Pick maximum safety score.
However, the tests of this model, or before that the Ford F-150 Lightning, forced them to upgrade the testing process a bit to accommodate the stronger collision caused by the large weight of the models. this car.
With a large weight and low center of gravity thanks to the battery under the floor to limit the rollover, electric vehicles are safer for occupants but are a “nightmare” for people or cars being hit – Photo: IIHS
Compared to the regular Ford F-150, the F-150 Lightning weighs more than 900 kg to 1.35 tons depending on the configuration. Ford Mustang Mach-E or Volvo EX40 are heavier than other cars of the same size segment.
Applying any simple law of physics, we can immediately realize that electric cars will cause a greater impact force on the object being hit.
In addition, it should be remembered that electric vehicles have good instantaneous acceleration. The rather high top speed increases the impact force even further.
Another problem comes from the fact that if the technology of making electric batteries has not been able to advance to new heights, car manufacturers can only improve the range of electric vehicles by increasing battery capacity, thereby continuing to push the weight of the electric vehicle. This car goes even higher.