All things being equal, choose one tram More than an internal combustion engine could be a better move for the planet, thanks to the engines that don’t spew out greenhouse gases while in transit.
But all things aren’t always equal: Battery-powered cars and trucks tend to be much heavier than gas-powered vehicles. That bulk translates into a mixed bag of interests and concerns, especially when it comes to safety. Michael Anderson, University of California professor, co-writer research “Pounds That Kill: The External Cost of Vehicle Weight.”
“Really what it’s doing is basically pushing the other car you hit and causing you to take a gentler deceleration,” he said.
At his time learn, 2011, Anderson is concerned about what the wave of super-sized SUVs and trucks will mean for road deaths. And he already knew; In the years since, sugar deaths in the US has increased in step with Average weight of American cars. Anderson was less interested in electric cars, because he noticed the battery will appear first in hatchback and sedan models such as Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model WILL, another argument is made. However, over the next few months, the safety landscape will change dramatically, as a number of huge and heavy electric vehicles hit the streets. By the end of the year, about new 18 The battery-powered SUVs and pickups will be available to US buyers to choose from.
“It’s important that the average weight is less than the heterogeneous weight,” says Anderson. “There can be a window there that is very unsafe to drive (small, gasoline-powered cars) and causes accidents for many vehicles.”
Review of GMC Hummer The EV, which leads the weight at nearly 9,100 pounds, roughly equates to two Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. It’s hard to imagine any collisions it could be involved in at a mild level. Ironically, as more and more drivers choose larger trucks over family cars, some consumers who prefer smaller vehicles are turning to trucks like a form of defense.
Despite the extra pounds, most electric vehicles now decelerate at a distance consistent with – and sometimes better – similarly sized gas-powered vehicles, according to data compiled by Consumer Reports. There are several reasons for this. Automakers are fitting many of these vehicles with brake, for a. Second, electric vehicles are renewable brake system where the electric motors slow down the machine slightly during power generation. Brembo, which supplies many of the brakes to automakers, says the regenerative system usually fully compensates for the extra weight, often at least 10 percent more than a similar combustion car.
Final, Electric Car Tends to have better weight distribution and a lower center of gravity than gas-powered vehicles, thanks to the battery being sealed under the engine floor, braking force is more evenly distributed to all four wheels and the tires subject to friction more with the pavement. . Jake Fisher, lead engineer for automotive testing at Consumer Reports. “In a physics equation, it’s eliminated.”
Above Polestar Christian Samson, head of product, said in an e-mail, regenerative braking through the engine handles most of the deceleration, even in relatively abrupt stops. Even so, the company’s engineers did not factor that into their equation when deciding the size of the brake pads.
“Friction brakes are sized and capable of handling all of the vehicle’s braking even though the regen system does, in fact, handle most of the deceleration,” explains Samson.
Audi engineers say the regenerative system on its current electric models handles up to 95 percent of slows and stops, including about 30 percent deceleration in an emergency. The Audi e-trone.g. stop faster than Q7 SUVs, Theo Consumer Reports, despite being 14% heavier. In fact e-tron Brakes are used so little that Audi had to design a special process to keep the pads from corroding.
Of course, the stopping distance is only relevant when the brake is activated. If the pilot drives the giant EV by accident step on the accelerator, not paying attention or not being able to clearly see the path of the vehicle, its entire mass will have to suffer, situations which can be aggravated by the intensely rapid acceleration most electric motors all can do. About four pedestrians killed by pickup trucks making a left turn because of every single death caused by a regular car. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety blamed poor visibility and linked the decade-long rise in pedestrian deaths to steadily speeding vehicles.
The matter has attracted the attention of federal regulators. In March, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration propose update the five-star safety rating program new car. If changes are made, automakers will have to pay attention to pedestrians for the first time in order to score high.
Furthermore, the researchers found a direct correlation between the pedestrian’s death and the weight of the offending vehicle. Equally problematic, the blind spot in front of a cramped pickup’s hood can amount to Over 11 feet long compared with sedans, according to a Consumer Reports learn.
The Insurance money However, the industry is optimistic about the mass-market transition to electric vehicles. Janet Ruiz, director of strategic communications for the Insurance Information Institute, said electric-vehicle pilots tend to have a clearer driving record than their gasoline-powered counterparts; namely they have less speed and less mileage. One Research 2020 from the Highway Loss Data Institute shows that electric vehicles have about 20% less claims than similar gasoline-powered vehicles, despite the high claim severity slightly.
As for the Hummer, its stopping hardware is as carefully considered as its 0-60 acceleration. Synthetic engine Spokesman Chris Bonelli said the truck has “premium, powerful” brakes, a full suite of active safety features such as automatic reversing and torque vectoring emergency braking, a Technology developed in sports car that, at least in some cases, can help the 1,000-horsepower truck avoid potential crashes.
Related videos:
