Federal safety watchdog concerned about EV weight, size in crashes
The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board said this month that she’s concerned about the safety risks of heavy electric vehicles.
A GMC Hummer EV weighs more than 9,000 pounds, Jennifer Homendy said, with a battery that weighs more than 2,900 pounds. The battery alone is around the weight of a Honda Civic.
A Ford F-150 Lightning is up to 3,000 pounds heavier than the non-electric version, and the Mustang Mach-E, Volvo XC40 EV and the Toyota RAV4 EV are all around one-third heavier than their gas-powered counterparts, she added.
“I am concerned about the increased risk of severe injury and death for all road users from heavier curb weights and the increasing size, power and performance of vehicles on our roads, including electric vehicles,” Homendy told an audience at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington.
She said she’s “inspired” by the Biden administration’s commitment to phasing out carbon emissions and supports the push toward electric vehicles.
“We do have a climate crisis that needs to be addressed,” she said. “But we have to be careful that we aren’t also creating unintended consequences ... safety, especially when it comes to new policies and new technologies ... cannot be overlooked ever.”
The NTSB serves as a safety watchdog, but has no power to create regulations or set policy.
Homendy said mass and velocity are two of the biggest risk factors when it comes to crashes. It “has a significant impact” whether it’s a crash with another vehicle or a pedestrian or cyclist.