The other thing I wonder and one which isn’t discussed a lot is road accidents, especially involving pedestrians. A lot of EV owners seem to push the acceleration capabilities of these vehicles as a really positive aspect and combine that with increased weight and I can’t help but feel that fatalities are going to increase due to this.
More likely to have an accident in the supermarket car park where shoppers aren’t paying attention, so they don’t ‘hear’ the near silent EV cars…??♂️
It’s not just car parks. Drive anywhere where there are a high density of pedestrians and you’ll run a high risk of some muppet stepping off the pavement without looking. It’s exactly the same in a hybrid, except Toyota who have an annoyingly loud whine, or even some of the bigger engines that are barely ticking over at low speeds.
A lot of idiots push acceleration, regardless of what they’re accelerating in. If you chose to pull away from stopped in a space packed with pedestrians, you are highly likely to hurt, or worse any pedestrian who steps in front of you. I’ve witnessed exactly that happen a good number of years ago where a car pulled out of a parking spot and straight over a young boy who was crossing, breaking both legs. This was long before EVs were in place. Cars are safer now that ever before and with so many cars having pedestrian safety systems including some with emergency stopping potential, I’d argue that it’s now safer to step into a road, regardless of what car is approaching. It’s still not advisable though as too many switch the annoyances off and drive inadvisably.
There are images of a Tesla Model X that was hit at speed around the rear axle. This was the kind of accident that usually results in a car being overturned, because of the battery weight and the stability that produces as an underfloor installation, the car did spin, the wheel hit and the wheel opposite both broke, the hit one on impact, the other when it hit the curb having done a complete 180. There was damage to the Tesla but the battery pack was solid and the passengers all walked away unharmed, other than utterly shaken. In another car that would have been a spin and overturn with passengers thrown about a car – as happens when any car no longer sits upright – and the injury potential was horrendous.
There are also, for balance, examples of EVs ending up in hedges because the driver didn’t expect the weight of the vehicle to decline to turn in wet conditions at the speed he chose to turn. This happens less often in ICE cars, although there have been SUVs and 4x4s finding similar problems.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.
Mark