Electric Vehicles or EVs are here!
With the pollution levels reaching alarming levels, the world has finally started to ditch the traditional Internal Combustions Engines (ICE) for vehicles run on Electric Motors. Indian manufacturers such as Tata Motors, Bajaj, Ola, Aether, etc. have also started to produce electric vehicles for the Indian market. The low emission and fuel efficiency of electric vehicles are lauded. But, what about electric vehicle safety? Are Electric Vehicles as safe or safer than conventional ICE-powered vehicles?
In this article, we will focus on electric vehicle safety. Both in crashes and other incidents such as fire or vehicle failure. As a benchmark, we will compare the positive and negative aspects of electric vehicles with conventional ICE-powered vehicles.
Why Electric Vehicles are safer
Electric vehicles are new-tech and come with many safety features. The most prominent being:
A Stronger vehicle body structure
To reduce the risk of fire, Government regulations across the world mandate electric vehicles to have a stronger body to protect electric motors and batteries. This has encouraged vehicle makers to provide additional structural reinforcements that also improve occupant safety. Electric vehicles also have more energy-absorbing crumple zones, a critical component in vehicle safety.
Better vehicle stability
Electric vehicles have a lower center of gravity as compared to their ICE counterparts. This provides makes electric vehicles much more stable while driving. Electric vehicles are also much less likely to roll over or swerve. Just look how hard it is to roll the Tesla car here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJTY7ilwSq4
Can incorporate more safety features.
Most of the vehicle safety features such as ABS, ESP, ADAS, airbags, etc. are based on electronics. The smaller battery in traditional ICE vehicles made it harder to add more features. However, electric vehicles have more than enough battery power to run advanced systems. Down the line, we can also expect some active safety features such as the Blindspot Warning System or Forward Collision Warning in smaller vehicles such as the electric two-wheelers.
Electric Vehicle safety risks
Although electric vehicles have a lot of safety advantages, they do possess some risks. Starting with…
Vehicle Fire
If you have heard of electric vehicles, you might have also heard of electric vehicle fires. Many of them have been fatal. Such instances surely make us apprehensive about buying electric vehicles.
But, why do electric vehicles catch fire at all? What causes the risk of fire?
The answer to the questions lies in the batteries. The strength of the electric vehicle is also its biggest risk.
Electric vehicle batteries contain Lithium-ion. These batteries are less likely to catch fire at low temperatures as compared to petrol. But, if the temperature reaches high enough or if there is a chemical leakage, these batteries become highly reactive and flammable. It is also quite hard to put the fire out once these batteries catch fire!
The risk of “Thermal Runaway”
Electric vehicle batteries are complex and contain many small cells. These cells are kept separated through strong barriers to prevent a chemical reaction. However, these cell barriers can get damaged in a crash or due to a mechanical defect. Once the barrier breaks, the chemicals inside can react immediately to cause a fire. This is called a thermal runaway.
The larger the battery the more powerful the fire. And the longer it will burn. Sometimes it can take hours to douse the fire
A Thermal Runway can happen randomly too. An electric vehicle involved in a crash today may even catch fire tomorrow!
The danger of an electric vehicle fire is compounded for smaller vehicles such as electric two-wheelers. The riders are sitting exactly on top of the battery!
However, in spite of the risks, electric vehicles are not the ball of fire they are often depicted. Both vehicle and battery manufacturers provide numerous fail-safe systems to reduce the chance of electric vehicle fires. Data from the western world shows electric vehicles are less likely to catch fire than conventional ICE vehicles.
Electric vehicle fires depend a lot on manufacturing quality.
High torque
Electric vehicle batteries produce much higher torque than ICE vehicles. The vehicle will immediately jump forward as soon as you press the accelerator. Untrained or unaware drivers will put themselves and those around them at risk. Be extremely careful while using your electric vehicle’s “Sports Mode”.
Risk to pedestrians, bicyclists, and other smaller road users
While walking or cycling we use a vehicle’s engine sound to judge its presence. However, an electric vehicle barely makes any noise while traveling.
You won’t even realise even if an electric vehicle is right behind you! I have had a couple of close shaves with electric buses myself!
Pedestrians and bicyclists should be doubly careful once we have more electric vehicles on the roads.
The Government has also recognized this issue and has suggested a regulation for acoustic alert systems in electric vehicles.
How to use Electric Vehicles safely
Electric vehicles have both pros and cons. Though some risks such as an electric fire may seem to make electric vehicles dangerous, there are some ways you can use electric vehicles safely:
Continue to follow the basics of vehicle safety
The main difference between an electric vehicle and a conventional ICE vehicle is its engine. Safety rules that you must follow for a conventional vehicle still apply to an electric vehicle:
- For electric two-wheelers, continue to practice the standard two-wheeler safety tips such as wearing a helmet, driving cautiously, making yourself visible, taking additional care of children on two-wheelers, etc.
- For electric cars, you still have to wear a seat belt for all seats and get a child car seat.
- Defensive Driving still applies to electric vehicles.
Get used to the electric vehicle first
It is always recommended to get used to the electric vehicle’s high torque before using the vehicle regularly. You don’t want to run into an unnecessary crash!
Be alert to any battery damage or electric failure
Electric vehicles are strictly regulated and have many fail-safe systems. However, it is always better to be cautious. Always get the battery inspected if your electric vehicle gets involved in a crash. Apart from this, also run regular maintenance checks for the motor and batteries.
Buy an electric vehicle from a trusted and proven brand
Lots of small startups and companies have jumped on the electric vehicle wagon. The electric vehicle standards in our country are just starting to catch up to technological advancement. It is too early to comment on the real-world safety of electric vehicles.
My suggestion would be to wait till the electric vehicles have passed the initial litmus test. If you really want to try out an electric vehicle, kindly go with a trusted national or global brand. Especially a brand with a proven history of making vehicles.
Gear up for a safe “Electric” future
The Indian government is planning to electrify most vehicles by 2030. Electric vehicles are starting to become a more practical option than conventional vehicles.
The only question is their safety. There may be some pitfalls in the beginning. However, with the advancement of battery technology, electric vehicles will get much safer from the risk of fire.
Let us hope for a safer electric future.
Originally published at https://www.roadsafetyguy.com on December 25, 2021.
