Motor Trend: "America's vehicles are fat, and its guardrails suck."[2] Motor Trend is critical of the U.Texas tests, because they didn't test larger gas-powered trucks. The current guardrail test weight for pickup trucks is 5000 pounds. That was increased from 4500 pounds in 2019. Current Ford F-150 trucks can be over 7,000 pounds, empty. The Rivian EV pickup is listed as 7,148 lbs. The Hummer EV is over 9000 lbs.
Guardrails have ratings - TL1 through TL6. TL3 is most common. That's the 5000 pound pickup truck level. The standard test is not straight-on; it's 45 degrees. After all, these things are alongside roads, and are rarely hit straight on at high speed.
The last big problem with guardrails was collisions with guardrail ends, especially at freeway offramps. There are good solutions for that in place now. Take a good look at the high-traffic Interstate offramp you see. There are various different crushable systems used, and they work reasonably well. The main problem is replacing them after use. They're a consumable.
Low center of gravity is a big problem. Guardrail heights have been increased over the last few decades as cars got bigger. Low-CG electrics push their way under. Notice, though, that the Tesla test resulted in the vehicle traveling parallel to the guardrail after the vehicle went under it. Enough energy was absorbed to redirect the vehicle. The Rivian went clear through.
Maybe for pickups above some weight drivers should have to have a commercial driver's license, the one you need to drive a real truck.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6CKltZfToY
[2] https://www.motortrend.com/news/guardrail-safety-study-evs-p...
Like the rest of the world?
Australia car license limit: 4500kg for C (Car) class [0]
New Zealand Car license limit: 6000kg for Class 1 (Car) [1]
United Kingdom car license limit: 3500kg or 8250kg for class B [2]
France limit: 4250kg towing for class B [3]
Cavet: the above weights can be a vehicle or a combination vehicle weight depending on a bunch or intricate rules.
[0] https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/licensing/vehicle-classes.as...
[1] https://www.nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/getting-a-licence/l...
[2] https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-categories
[3] https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2845?l...
There are of course exceptions.
I would love that. At the very least, anyone with an at-fault accident should be barred from driving the heaviest vehicles.
The car impacted at a barrier splice which was not correctly joined. Barrier splices can come apart in the real world, but the fasteners will tear apart the sheet metal in the process. That splice gently deflected apart, like two sections of barrier were gently leaned against each other.
Two posts fall over on the initial impact, one on each side of the loose splice, without causing noticable specific damage to the car. The third post absolutely caved in the front end of the car before being violently bent down underneath, as properly anchored posts do in the real world.
This also isn't how this type of barrier is tested. "Barrier deflections listed below are results from crash tests with a 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) pickup truck traveling 100 km/h (62 mph), colliding with the rail at a 25-degree angle." More diverse testing done with seriousness would be a useful way to challenge if that standard continues to be appropriate, but this isn't it.
For example, a Tesla 3 is within 5% of the weight of a BMW 3.
The article points out the weight distribution matters too, perhaps the lower center of gravity of electric cars leads to greater penetration capability.
Tesla Model 3: 3,862 to 4,054 lbs
BMW i4: 4,553 to 5,049 lbs
Note that the model 3 and i4 are compacts (accord sized), the BMW 3 is a sub-compact. The i4 shares a chassis with the 4 series, which is
3,578 to 4,034 lbs
You really feel the extra pounds also, but I still like my i4.
A 3 series is 185.4 in long, a 4 series is 187.7 in long. Does that make it jump from sub-compact to compact?
Apart from that, BMW wants to use its CLAR platform. Ever popped the hood of your BMW i4 and removed the 'engine cover'? What a load of wasted space there...
Edit: it’s actually just an inch narrower. Goes to show how tight my parking situation is.
Also, this experiment also means that BEVs can inflict bigger damages to other hard objects (e.g. buildings), and drivers would get injured more seriously during collision. So I think we should get a safer design that kills the kinetic energy on collision.
Granted, it’s ideal if they can withstand that angle of impact, but I’m trying to understand the real world impact to safety this has.
Head on crashes have already other methodology. Which covers some ground. After all you can only do limited amount of testing.
...which isn't much on the absolute scale; the difference in weight between a small sedan and a larger one, or an SUV or truck. If EVs weren't being stopped by guardrails, neither were the latter.
Look at those gigantic utes\trucks Americans drive. Suddenly weight is only a problem if the car is electric?
> It’s not only the weight of the vehicle, TTI said. The battery used to power EVs creates a lower center of gravity and the front is a storage space instead of an engine compartment.
EVs are so efficient in using that power that even if you were to power entirely from coal, the CO2 produced with be no more than that produced by a 50mpg Hybrid. The US grid is not remotely as dirty as that.
Even if you collected 100% of tailpipe emissions EV’s would still be cleaner in the US.
https://thedriven.io/2024/01/31/electric-vehicles-use-half-t...
Average Joe concerned with commute isn't buying them. They aren't doing good at car rentals even. Hertz comes to mind.
Mr. Musk must be given credit that he created such a FOMO that whole car industry went into panic and started building assembly lines.