XPost: alt.energy.automobile, alt.politics.usa, rec.autos.tech
XPost: talk.politics.guns

On 07 Dec 2021, Biden sucks <jthomq@gmail.com> posted some news:sooktb$hqp$181@news.dns-netz.com:

Biden doesn't give a shit about Americans or the consequences of his
Obama fed decisions.

Vehicles are adding poundage as the auto industry goes electric — and
that's problematic for traffic safety, parking garages and roads.

Why it matters: Gas vehicles are slowly giving way to electric vehicles
as investors, regulators and consumers clamor for more environmentally sustainable transportation.

State of play: Electric vehicles can be anywhere from hundreds to
thousands of pounds heavier than similarly sized gas vehicles because EV batteries are so much heavier than engines.

For example, the 2023 GMC Hummer EV, a full-size pickup, weighs more
than 9,000 pounds, sporting a 2,900-pound battery. In comparison, the
2023 GMC Sierra, also a full-size pickup, weighs less than 6,000 pounds, according to Kelley Blue Book. The average weight of U.S. vehicles has
already increased from about 3,400 pounds to 4,300 pounds over the last
30 years as Americans have ditched passenger cars for pickups and SUVs, according to Evercore ISI analysts. Threat level: Safety watchdogs are
raising concerns after the recent deadly collapse of a parking garage in
New York City called attention to the challenge of creaking
infrastructure.

Traffic safety is particularly concerning. In crashes, the "baseline
fatality probability" increases 47% for every 1,000 additional pounds in
the vehicle — and the fatality risk is even higher if the striking
vehicle is a light truck (SUV, pickup truck, or minivan), according to a
2011 study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. "Since
we’re seeing pedestrian and roadway fatalities at record levels, the introduction of more weight into crashes via EVs will complicate any
attempts to reduce the ongoing fatality crisis that has showed no signs
of abating," Center for Auto Safety acting executive director Michael
Brooks tells Axios in an email. Flashback: In a speech in January,
National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy praised the
effort to reduce carbon emissions by switching to EVs but warned of the "unintended consequences" being "more death on our roads," the AP
reported.

While the Manhattan parking garage collapse in early April was not
blamed on EVs, the disaster nonetheless underscored an issue of growing concern: whether aging roads and old garages can handle all the extra
weight. Less than two weeks before the collapse, a British Parking
Association official recommended that parking structures integrate
higher load-bearing weights amid concerns about more EVs, the Telegraph reported. The big question: Can automakers make batteries more
energy-efficient so that they weigh less yet still pack a powerful
punch?

"Unless we see incredibly rapid advances in battery design and vehicle
designs, and taking smart steps like using battery energy density gains
to save weight rather than extend range, or opening the doors to battery swapping, we are likely to see many additional deaths and injuries
attributable solely to the added weight of EV batteries," Brooks says.

https://www.axios.com/2023/04/28/evs-weight-safety-problems

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