While electric vehicles may help save money on fuel costs, they can still cause significant damage if they are involved in car wrecks. As these types of vehicles get larger and heavier, they may pose greater risks to their drivers as well as occupants of other Connecticut vehicles than they may have in the past.
Larger vehicles require larger batteries
The battery inside of an electric vehicle may be vulnerable to ignition after being involved in a multi-car collision. If a lithium battery catches on fire, the flames are especially difficult to put out. The difficulty of containing such a blaze will likely grow even harder as emergency crews deal with vehicles that are almost twice as large as they were just a decade ago. If fires cannot be extinguished in a timely manner, they may pose additional safety risks to those trapped inside of their vehicles or those who may be in close proximity to a burning car or SUV.
Heavier vehicles create more force at impact
When a heavier truck or SUV collides with a lighter compact or subcompact car, the lighter car generally takes the brunt of the impact. Therefore, those inside of that vehicle may be at a higher risk of bodily injury or death. The smaller car may also be more likely to be completely destroyed in the motor vehicle accident. In some cases, traditional trucks or SUVs may be vulnerable if they collide with an electric truck or SUV that may outweigh them by up to 1,000 pounds or more.
