CALIFORNIA (FOX26) — They haven’t taken over California highways just yet but we are seeing more electric vehicles on the road.
According to the Energy Department California has 1, 200, 000 electric vehicles.
What might surprise you is how EVs outweigh standard cars with combustible engines.
This is what a 7,000-pound electric vehicle can do to a guard rail going 60 miles an hour.
The University of Nebraska Lincoln is crashing cars at its midwest road safety facility.
Remember battery electric vehicles are very safe in the tests they’ve been designed to meet. Both evaluated on federal standards, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests, Said Professor Ron Faller at the University of Nebraska Lincoln.
In another test, it’s eye-opening to see what happens after the truck hits the barrier.
it moves back several feet but the truck didn’t jump or break through the concrete.
We weren’t surprised. If you have more energy, more momentum in a crash with a heavier vehicle, that particular barrier will experience higher displacement and high levels of damage which it did also experience said Faller.
While the crash didn’t surprise the director of research, it concerns Fresno Assemblyman Jim Patterson.
When I reviewed the test video I was absolutely astounded. Here is a piece of equipment that is so heavy and dangerous that will will demolish a K-rail, said Patterson.
Professor Faller believes it’s too early in the testing of electric vehicles to draw conclusions.
what he did notice when crashing the car was the g-force measured by an onboard sensor.
Typically our vehicles’ weight having similar barriers ride down accelerations anywhere from 10-16 g’s. I’m just throwing a number out but in that range, said Faller.
Professor Faller says the limit is 20.4.
Our battery electric vehicle sedan test we achieved a lateral occupant ride-down acceleration of 32 g’s which is more than 50% over our allowable tolerance, said Faller.
Faller calls the number alarming but says the sensor reading can’t determine if the people in the car will be seriously hurt.
Patterson who is the vice chair of the assembly Utility and Energy committee believes it’s time for the feds to get involved.
And I really think that given this evidence, I think the National Transportation Safety people have got to do some serious crash tests on these very heavy and very dangerous electric vehicles, said Patterson.
Professor Faller says it’s unknown if all EVs will behave the same as the vehicles they’ve tested in Nebraska.
We have a lot of years of investigations and studies to perform before we can say anything. We’re just starting.
It will take three to five years before Professor Faller says they have enough research to better address e-v safety concerns.