US official warns of risks posed by heavy electric vehicles

[rangerrebew]

US official warns of risks posed by heavy electric vehicles
Story by By TOM KRISHER, AP Auto Writer • Yesterday 3:06 PM


DETROIT (AP) — The head of the National Transportation Safety Board expressed concern Wednesday about the safety risks that heavy electric vehicles pose if they collide with lighter vehicles.

The official, Jennifer Homendy, raised the issue in a speech in Washington to the Transportation Research Board. She noted, by way of example, that an electric GMC Hummer weighs about 9,000 pounds (4,000 kilograms), with a battery pack that alone is 2,900 pounds (1,300 kilograms) — roughly the entire weight of a typical Honda Civic.

“I’m concerned about the increased risk of severe injury and death for all road users from heavier curb weights and increasing size, power, and performance of vehicles on our roads, including electric vehicles,” Homendy said in remarks prepared for the group.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/us-official-warns-of-risks-posed-by-heavy-electric-vehicles/ar-AA16ewcl?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=6f829dbd2620406c9ac225da2c2f0c70

[rangerrebew]

I think the thing she is really worried about is the size, and fire potential of that battery pack, though she could never admit it and keep her job in the Biden administration.

[GtHawk]

I think the thing she is really worried about is the size, and fire potential of that battery pack, though she could never admit it and keep her job in the Biden administration.

I don't know, it has been standard practice for them to complain about larger heavier vehicles bein a risk to smaller vehicles for decades, the liberals have been trying to guilt people into giving up their trucks and larger cars for a very long time.

[Kamaji]

As if current day military vehicles are all small enough that a collision with one is not going to destroy your typical civilian car.

[Smokin Joe]

Aside from increased wear on the highways themselves, momentum differences in collisions, has anyone done the math on the weight of a traffic jam on (our decaying infrastructure) bridges?

[rangerrebew]

I haven't done that but in undergrad school I worked on the railroad.  I can attest from real experience that if you are in a race with two engines and a caboose (size and speed) to get to a crossing, even if you tie, you lose.  The collision wasn't even felt on the engine but was most notable on the car and driver.

[Smokin Joe]

For instance, curb weight of the F-150 Lightning is about 1500 lbs more than the gasoline powered version. I chose that because it is one of the most popular vehicles in this region.

Battery packs alone weigh in at roughly 1000 lbs, and even the electric Ford Mustang weighs 2 1/2 tons. We're looking at automobile vehicle weights that exceed those of 1960s vehicles, which had substantially more steel in their construction.

Figure EVs add anywhere from 1/2 ton to 3/4  ton per vehicle to thee current load weight of bridges, and then stack traffic up. If all EVs, the structure would have to support 1.3 o more times the current static load with ICE vehicles. This does not include any harmonics which might be present for loads in motion.

With all the ballyhoo about crumbling infrastructure, will those structures be able to take the increased load? Or will bridge collapses become more common?

Granted, that may (or may not) be a stretch, but I have not seen it considered.

Of course in accidents, that extra mass equates to greater impact force (F=ma: Force=mass times acceleration), so it directly translates to more crumple in the crumple zone, more damage in T-bone type accidents and double in head-on collisions, where safety systems designed for lesser impacts between ICE vehicles may well prove inadequate to protect the occupants.

And then, there is the complication of having large batteries in the mix, potentially fire hazards, but certainly with a store of energy that could be released, complicating victim extrication and lengthening the critical time to get the injured to medical care. At least leaking gasoline or diesel can be washed away with a fire hose and contained where it will not be a hazard to rescuers and victims.  The presence of lithium power cells in that mix would complicate things.