Are electric cars safe?

They are some of the safest cars on the road but understandably, most people are conscious of their safety as they are such a big part of our day to day life. To put it another way, most people would be concerned if a hippo was running down your high street or round your kids school at 30mph. Well your car weighs about the same, so making sure it’s safe for you and those around you is crucial. 

Like any car, electric cars are thoroughly safety tested using Euro-NCAP. This is the standard way in Europe of testing car safety. And the good news is, electric cars are some of the highest scoring cars in their tests.

Electric cars have been designed more recently than their petrol counterparts.  Designers add all the engineering data and understanding into the building and designing of the car allowing the safety of cars to be looked at in a new way but building on decades of knowledge. Most petrol cars have been designed in a similar way for about 10 years or more.Without a big engine at the front of the car, a whole load of space has been given back to the engineering team. This extra space can partly be used to cushion people better in an impact. That goes for both those in the car and outside it. With a bigger crumple zone (the section at the front or rear of the car) an EV can absorb the impact and slow the rate of a crash down. This space also means that you don’t need there is no need for a big front of your car, improving pedestrian safety.Having space under the bonnet doesn’t just help to create a ‘crumple zone’, but also allows the interior of the car to be more airy and clutter free. So there’s more space between passengers and the material they may or may not hit. The more room inside the car the comfier and safer you’ll be.

Batteries are big and heavy, they provide a really solid base from which to build a car. The car will be more responsive because of where the weight is placed, and it’s less likely to roll in an incident. If the car is in an accident where its side is impacted, the battery provides a strong structure so the cabin is not majorly deformed.

Some people fear that EV batteries can cause fires. In fact, EV batteries catch fire much less regularly than petrol or diesel cars. A recent study found that 44% of all EV emergency calls since 2017  were anything to do with the battery, this equates to only 324 cars. These won’t have all been battery fires either, these will have been calls where an electric car has been involved, maybe not the cause. Tesla say their EV is over 10 times less likely to catch fire than a petrol or diesel car for every 205 million miles travelledThe Ever-Evolving Safety Journey of Electric Vehicles

Most EVs are connected to the internet, so as technology improves, software updates bring new features and benefits. Years after buying it the safety of your EV can be continuously upgraded.

As time goes on we learn more about how people travel, and with that we learn more about how to keep people safe. Software is updated continually to use new information. From the computer cutting power in the event of an accident, to pre-tightening seat belts for extra safety, or to the timing of firing the airbags depending on which part of the car was hit first. Meaning that your electric car is likely to only get safer as time goes on.

Electric cars have proven to be safe and reliable vehicles on the road. With their high safety scores in Euro-NCAP tests, they offer peace of mind to drivers and passengers alike. The forward-thinking design of electric cars, free from the constraints of traditional combustion engines, allows for enhanced safety features such as larger crumple zones and improved pedestrian safety. Moreover, the presence of robust batteries as a solid base adds stability and reduces the likelihood of rollovers or major deformation in side impacts.

EV batteries have a commendable safety record, with incidents of battery-related emergencies being rare. From intelligent power control during accidents to seatbelt pre-tensioning and precise airbag deployment, these updates ensure that your electric car's safety features are continuously enhanced.

So, fear not! Electric cars are meticulously designed with care, leveraging modern engineering and building upon decades of knowledge. They not only prioritise- the safety of those inside the vehicle but also consider the well-being of pedestrians. With their ever-evolving safety journey and the promise of continuous upgrades, electric vehicles offer a secure and comfortable driving experience, bringing us closer to a cleaner and safer future on the roads.