How vehicle weights are critical to crash performance, and new evidence that automatic emergency braking is improving rapidly, unless you’re a motorcyclist.
Larger sizes and shapes inevitably introduce incompatibilities
The concern with larger vehicles generally rests on their performance in crashes due to a variety of both size and weight related issues. Larger sizes and shapes inevitably introduce incompatibilities with smaller vehicles and pedestrians into the picture, resulting in more severe crashes, more deaths, and more severe injuries. Size increases are also behind some of the extreme frontal visibility issues that are implicated in pedestrian crashes and frontovers.
The impact of weight increases cannot be overemphasized
The chance of severe injury or death in crashes goes up almost 50%. for every thousand pounds of weight added to a vehicle. This is particularly concerning as we see a rise in offerings of electric pickup trucks and SUV’s, where we may see 1500lbs + added to current models to accommodate batteries capable of moving these large vehicles long distances. That only exacerbates the weight/crash problem and also raises new questions about safety and the potential environmental impact of electric vehicles as a whole.
Formidable Acceleration
As an added surprise, these new superheavy electrified trucks and SUVS also arrive with formidable acceleration enabled by EV batteries, in some cases accompanied by the equivalent of a “warp speed” feature like the WTF button in Hummer EV’s. That type of vehicle capability is something most consumers are not trained to handle safely, and we think that acceleration features like those should be geofenced to prevent activation near public roads and spaces where other vehicles or pedestrians are present. In any event, even without these “stupid buttons,” EV’s are capable of significantly enhanced acceleration which poses a threat when operated by drivers who are not trained in high performance vehicle handling.
Curb Weights Compared
In the below table we compare an EV with a similar ICE (internal combustion engine) to show how much weight current EV batteries add. Heavier vehicles lead to more road wear, shorter tire life and the chance for deadlier collisions.
| Electric Vehicle | Weight | ICE Vehicle | Weight | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevy Silverado EV | 9000 | Chevy Silverado 1500 | 4288 | 4212 |
| GMC Hummer EV | 9063 | Hummer H2 | 6400 | 2663 |
| Ram 1500 REV* | 7500 | Ram 1500 | 4876 | 2624 |
| Ford F-150 Lightning | 6015 | Ford F-150 | 4300 | 1715 |
| Volvo EX90 | 6213 | Volvo XC90 | 4589 | 1624 |
| Rivian R1S | 6931 | Toyota Land Cruiser | 5815 | 1116 |
| Ford Mustang Mach E GT | 4394 | Ford Mustang GT | 3705 | 689 |
All weights in pounds (lbs).
*estimated weight as vehicles are not yet in production.
Source: The Center for Auto Safety. www.autosafety.org