Washington D.C., United States — Safety experts are raising the alarm on electric vehicles (EVs), warning that large battery packs and other parts add nearly 33 percent in weight compared to their internal-combustion engine counterparts.
According to Jennifer Homendy, chair of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the sheer weight of the typical EV battery pack means that the average EV weighs significantly more than many other personal vehicles, particularly for electric SUVs and pick-up trucks.
Similar to SUVs, this increased weight means that EVs typically protect their occupants well, at the expense of cyclists, drivers in lighter vehicles and pedestrians.
“I am concerned about the increased risk of severe injury and death to all road users from heavier curb weights,” said Homendy.
According to Global News, some OEMs have begun switching to lithium-iron-phosphate batteries which are even heavier than industry-standard lithium-ion batteries, and are now offering unprecedented engine power and acceleration, pointing towards faster, heavier vehicles that are more dangerous when a driver makes a mistake.
“What I’m hopeful for is that some of these vehicle masses don’t keep going up and up,” said Raul Arbelaez, v-p of the vehicle research center at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Experts suggest that battery swapping stations might be better than charging stations, helping future EVs run on smaller, lighter batteries.
