- EVs are much less prone to rear-end different vehicles due to improved frontal collision avoidance tech
- They’re, nevertheless, extra prone to be rear-ended
- EVs nonetheless take extra time and are costlier to restore versus gas-powered vehicles
It seems that driving an EV may make you much less of a highway hazard—at the least from behind. A new examine reveals that EVs are racking up fewer and fewer front-end collisions in comparison with their gas-powered counterparts. The info reveals that ICE vehicles are, on common, 6% extra prone to be concerned in a repairable front-end collision than EVs (32% vs 26%, respectively). So what is the secret, precisely? Nicely, it is all that fancy new driver-assistance tech!
Let’s dive into why EVs are profitable this battle. The key motive is simply how new EVs are to market; fresh-off-the-line EVs on the highway have a more recent common mannequin yr in comparison with most gas-powered fashions. This implies newer and extra refreshed tech planted in EVs—lane-keeping, front-crash avoidance methods, and computerized emergency braking—are all doing their job fairly properly and padding the stats within the EVs’ favor.
Photograph by: Tesla
Apparently, whereas repairable EVs are much less prone to hit a automobile from the entrance, they’re extra prone to be plowed into from the rear. The examine reveals that 36% of BEV repairs are for rear-end impacts versus 28% of ICE automobiles. This feels like such a bizarre statistic, would not it? However stick with me right here, as a result of there is perhaps a straightforward rationalization as to why.
The examine hypothesizes that regenerative braking might be responsible. Particularly, it calls out the distinction in driving dynamics when driving an EV in single-pedal mode versus utilizing friction braking to decelerate an ICE-powered automobile. Regardless of EVs rising in popularity, they nonetheless solely make up round 8% of latest automobile gross sales, so drivers—, those tailgating you whereas weaving out and in of site visitors—won’t be prepared for an EV’s regenerative braking to do its factor when the driving force lifts off the gasoline pedal abruptly.
Let’s discuss turkey whereas we’re right here. Entrance-end collisions are considerably costlier to repair than being hit within the rear. The examine estimates that restore prices are, on common, round 40% larger for front-end crashes, making EVs an sudden ally on this division. The flip facet is that they are nonetheless costlier within the store and take longer to restore.
This might be because of the overwhelmingly excessive use of OEM components to finish restores. The examine goes on to level out that 90.3% of components utilized in BEV repairs are OEM components straight from the producer. ICE automobiles use round 64.4%, which helps to chop down on prices. And to rub salt within the wound, fewer components may be repaired as a substitute of changed in EVs (12.4% vs 13.9%, respectively).
These stats do not imply that EVs are getting totaled at the next charge than ICE. The truth is, the full loss frequency is sort of the identical, differing by lower than one-tenth of a %. Nonetheless, the typical complete lack of an EV is larger at $32,718 for BEVs in Q3 versus $31,070 for mannequin yr 2021 and newer ICE vehicles.
It is solely a matter of time earlier than refreshed gasoline vehicles get geared up with comparable tech that helps keep away from these embarrassing “whoops” moments behind the wheel. For now, you may at the least really feel somewhat bit safer pulling as much as a crimson mild when an EV is behind you—simply hope that the EV driver would not have a rushing ICE automobile arising behind it.
