US official warns of risks posed by heavy electric vehicles

[KenH]

"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."

- rest at US official warns of risks posed by heavy electric vehicles | AP News

 

[Van]

Less than 1000 EV Hummers were sold in 2022, so to be overly concerned because EV Hummers are heavy is absurd. Better to be hit by a Hummer than a fully loaded 18 wheeler hauling heavy equipment.

Yes, very light vehicles are at disadvantage in collisions with 3600 pound vehicles. The average vehicle weight on our highways is about 4100 lbs.

The truth is a EV's are not all that heavy compared with trucks. Of the about 280 different BEV vehicles on the market, nearly 200 weigh less than 5200 lbs.

 

[JonC]

Also, why compare the electric hummer to a Honda civic?

The 2006 H1 weighed 8,117 lbs.
The 2022 electric hummer weighs 9,000 lbs.

71,924 2006 H1 hummers were sold.
854 2022 EV hummers were sold.

Sounds like making a mountain out of a mole hill.

 

[37818]

Maybe EVs ought to have lighter battery requirements with higher storage and shorter charging times.

 

[JonC]

Consider these electric cars:

A Tesla 3SR weighs 1840 lbs
A BNW i3 electric weighs 1440 lbs
A Mitsubishi i-Miev weighs 1200 lbs
A Volkswagen Eup weighs 1260 lbs
A Nissan Leaf weighs 1700 lbs


Regular vehicles (not electric)

A Ford F150 weighs 5740 lbs

The average weight for an electric car is 4323 to 4960 lbs. The average weight for a non-electric car is 4094 lbs.

Should the F150 be discontinued because it weigh more than most electric cars?

 

[HatedByAll]

Consider these electric cars:

A Tesla 3SR weighs 1840 lbs
A BNW i3 electric weighs 1440 lbs
A Mitsubishi i-Miev weighs 1200 lbs
A Volkswagen Eup weighs 1260 lbs
A Nissan Leaf weighs 1700 lbs


Regular vehicles (not electric)

A Ford F150 weighs 5740 lbs

The average weight for an electric car is 4323 to 4960 lbs. The average weight for a non-electric car is 4094 lbs.

Should the F150 be discontinued because it weigh more than most electric cars?

Jon, you have made one major mistake. The electric car weights you have posted are not their weight in pounds, but are their weights in kilograms. But, the weight of the Ford F150 is the higher end of the range of weights of the stock vehicle in pounds.

To have a fair comparison, the Ford's weight range in kilograms is 1805-2600kg. In my opinion, the weight difference for the truck is reasonable considering that it has a much higher cargo capacity and that is why many people purchase trucks instead of cars.

 

[JonC]

Jon, you have made one major mistake. The electric car weights you have posted are not their weight in pounds, but are their weights in kilograms. But, the weight of the Ford F150 is the higher end of the range of weights of the stock vehicle in pounds.

To have a fair comparison, the Ford's weight range in kilograms is 1805-2600kg. In my opinion, the weight difference for the truck is reasonable considering that it has a much higher cargo capacity and that is why many people purchase trucks instead of cars.

Lol....you are right.

The electric BMW weighs 2961 pounds.

Electric cars are, of course, heaverier than their standard counterparts. But not by that much.

The point I meant to make is that comparing an electric hummer to a standard Honda Civic is not an honest comparison.

The electric hummer is about 830 lbs heavier than the H1 hummers.

 

[Van]

The woke left manufactures issues to attack SUV's because they think we would be safer riding mass transit vehicles, but with the thuggery on buses, trains and subways, we are safer in our own vehicles, not necessarily a Humvee.

 

[JonC]

The woke left manufactures issues to attack SUV's because they think we would be safer riding mass transit vehicles, but with the thuggery on buses, trains and subways, we are safer in our own vehicles, not necessarily a Humvee.

Also, public transportation is limited.

I'll take the subway every day over driving in NY city. But I don't live in NY (and rarely visit).