CNET

Here’s Why Electric Cars Are Proving Safer in a Crash

Collision testing suggests that the weight difference may save your life and that the likelihood of the car’s battery catching fire is overblown. 0:00 EV Crash Testing 0:36 EVs are heavy 1:40 IIHS EV crash tests 3:28 EV battery fires 4:27 IIHS Top Safety Pick vs Top Safety Pick Plus 5:16 Crashing in a EV…

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Collision testing suggests that the weight difference may save your life and that the likelihood of the car’s battery catching fire is overblown.

0:00 EV Crash Testing
0:36 EVs are heavy
1:40 IIHS EV crash tests
3:28 EV battery fires
4:27 IIHS Top Safety Pick vs Top Safety Pick Plus
5:16 Crashing in a EV is probably safer than you think

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82 Comments

  1. Andrew

    January 14, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    CNet/CNet on Cars has become the new poster child for EVs. CNet on Cars used to be impartial.

    • Dick Riggles

      January 14, 2023 at 6:28 pm

      The government ordered them to do this, lol.

    • TheLastMoccasin

      January 14, 2023 at 9:37 pm

      Stating facts does not affect partiality. EVs are all that matter moving forward. Faced with a decision to be bankrupt or get on board, most intelligent individuals and business will choose to get on board rather than cease to exist. Many thought, will go bankrupt holding onto fever dreams of the past that they still wish were true. It happens in every disruption.

    • Dick Riggles

      January 14, 2023 at 10:28 pm

      @TheLastMoccasin It’s a fallacy this is better. It’s being promoted by people who want to make EVs work at all cost. You could have argued every plane would have been a Concorde by now back in 1970. It didn’t happen. They weren’t practical. EVs laughably are not. Everyone I know with an EV hates it. People shouldn’t be laughing at you for driving something that’s supposed to be the future. You need to stop believing everything you read in tech blogs.

    • Andrew

      January 14, 2023 at 11:35 pm

      @TheLastMoccasin and that has to do with my original commentm

  2. SS S

    January 14, 2023 at 5:53 pm

    It’s why registration for electric cars should be much higher and my 400lb motorcycle should cost almost nothing.

  3. Dick Riggles

    January 14, 2023 at 6:28 pm

    Is this CNET’s mandated electric car propaganda minister? I know a bunch of people who got rid of theie EVs because they were horrible. Give it up, Christ.

  4. Paul Ho

    January 14, 2023 at 6:37 pm

    Who is trying to survive?

  5. Bryant Anderson

    January 14, 2023 at 6:44 pm

    They’re not safer in a crash. The battery makes the car much heavier. Velocity+Weight=Not safer

  6. 2Cartalkers

    January 14, 2023 at 6:56 pm

    Thanks for suggesting. Car is meticulously maintained, it has about 53,000 miles on it. Everything is tip top, the trunk lid is massively heavy, it pops open but the struts would have to be Workhorse Bilsteins to lift it all the way up. I don’t know if that was in the design because of it being a hardtop/convertible but I will have it checked out. Thanks!

  7. GinjaBrad

    January 14, 2023 at 6:57 pm

    My issue with electric is thermal runaway during or after a wreck. IIHS needs to do a better job at testing that side of accidents.

  8. Stevie Sevieria

    January 14, 2023 at 7:17 pm

    Every time I see the face of the guy in the thumbnail, I know a load of BS is coming.

    • Dick Riggles

      January 14, 2023 at 10:31 pm

      Amen. He doesn’t sound like he believes it either.

  9. Clark Mills

    January 14, 2023 at 7:31 pm

    Actually, due to the battery pack base is directly under the occupant seats… that rigid platform should offer a good amount of protection from most mixes of crash. We will then need to look at ways of keeping and restraining the occupants into their seats and look at whiplash (from not just the rear but front & sides. Regardless, in all scenarios, avoidance it always the best option. 🙂

  10. quartytypo

    January 14, 2023 at 7:48 pm

    EV as a ballistic missile. Whan an EV hits you, you are getting hit by a truck because of the added battery weight.

  11. UhhhOhNoo0oo0OoOoo0oo0oO0

    January 14, 2023 at 8:12 pm

    You mean 4 1/2 tons. These SUVs should never have been allowed on the road. Battery technology isn’t close yet = plug in hybrid only. (Petrol companies are great at marketing)

  12. Gabe

    January 14, 2023 at 8:28 pm

    Until it bursts into flames and first responders can’t put it out.

  13. Davis Home

    January 14, 2023 at 8:46 pm

    I see Cooley ,I click

    • 𝙏𝙀-𝙇𝙀-𝙂𝙍𝘼M-𝙈𝙀 👉 Cnet5

      January 14, 2023 at 9:47 pm

      HELLO FAN☝️☝️
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  14. Surfntrucks

    January 14, 2023 at 8:46 pm

    Tesla falls off 200 foot cliff and everyone survived. That should be the headline.

  15. Jason Atkins

    January 14, 2023 at 9:32 pm

    But regarding post crash fires ICE vs electric. You can’t put out an electric battery fire. After 10,000 gallons if you are lucky enough that it stops burning, it could spontaneously erupt again at any time. Also, outside of a collision, ICE cars don’t spontaneously combust. EVs can / have / do.

  16. James Jones

    January 14, 2023 at 9:34 pm

    If a family survives going off a 250ft cliff in a Tesla then they’re doing something right.

    • Dick Riggles

      January 14, 2023 at 10:30 pm

      I would argue most cars could probably survive that too I’m the exact same conditions. Also, how will did they survive? They could be on life support for the rest of their lives for all we know.

    • My Account __

      January 14, 2023 at 10:51 pm

      @Dick Riggleswrong . EVEEY other story I’ve seen of this has been fatal

    • My Account __

      January 14, 2023 at 10:52 pm

      @Dick Rigglesdon’t go on cnn and you’d see the full story. But I don’t expect people like you to use your brains. Look for yourself and find the story

    • Dick Riggles

      January 14, 2023 at 10:58 pm

      @My Account __ Bull crap.

  17. allfamyankee85

    January 14, 2023 at 9:40 pm

    Go read Tesla safety data! You are going to begin asking yourself why isn’t this the standard? It’s night and day!! That’s what makes them the top 3 safest vehicles on the planet!

  18. Steve Grimes

    January 14, 2023 at 9:48 pm

    My Audi A4 and Tesla M3 are the same exterior dimensions, the M4 weighs 400lbs more. I speculate that part of the equation not covered in this video is that its easier to design crash zones without an engine or transmission.

  19. ShanGamer

    January 14, 2023 at 9:53 pm

    Not sold on em get in touch with me in another 30 years

    • 𝙏𝙀-𝙇𝙀-𝙂𝙍𝘼M-𝙈𝙀 👉 Cnet5

      January 14, 2023 at 9:56 pm

      Got 👆👆 something special for you 🎉🎉

    • Dick Riggles

      January 14, 2023 at 10:29 pm

      That’s what they said 30 years ago, lol.

  20. Kevin Choi

    January 14, 2023 at 10:23 pm

    but when it starts burning thats a different story

  21. celestialnubian

    January 14, 2023 at 10:39 pm

    “Soon we’ll have EVs hitting EVs”
    You seem to be forgetting that cars in general and EVs especially have increasingly better collision avoidance tech. We could soon be at a point where vehicle crashes are a rarity.

    • Dick Riggles

      January 14, 2023 at 10:59 pm

      Uhhhhhh… Why especially EVs? Being an EV has nothing to do with collision avoidance tech. 🤣

  22. António Ferreira

    January 14, 2023 at 10:43 pm

    The difference between ICE’s fire and EV’s fire is the gases… EV have a very toxic gases, and mutch, mutch hard to extinguish

  23. TheHarryGamer

    January 14, 2023 at 11:13 pm

    “yeah man electric cars are safer” * proceeds to ignite in a flame that is incredibly hard to put out

  24. bad65dad

    January 14, 2023 at 11:32 pm

    No the battery damage cost more than a regular car along with structure damage EVs will totaled by the insurance company costing buys more.

  25. The Communication Coach

    January 15, 2023 at 1:21 am

    Well, they have no gas to ignite or explode, and the batteries increase the weight, so that’s my estimation.

  26. Scott Beatty

    January 15, 2023 at 6:21 am

    Surprised how little attention was paid regarding how much more damaging EVs are toward vehicles, people and property they impact.

  27. Terrill TheGreat

    January 15, 2023 at 6:28 am

    Don’t ignore the absence of a huge, red hot engine being absent in a head-on collision. Also the battery skateboard design reduces side impact intrusions. Focusing on weight alone isn’t accurate.

  28. Megapangolin

    January 15, 2023 at 7:11 am

    Great news for the rich folks that can afford these vastly overweight, overpriced boxes of tin, smashing into poor people has never been so much fun… Interesting video.

  29. geffel

    January 15, 2023 at 7:39 am

    Well, duh.

  30. E Q

    January 15, 2023 at 7:59 am

    Unbelievable

    • Alex W

      January 15, 2023 at 8:23 am

      not really

  31. luedriver

    January 15, 2023 at 8:01 am

    is it because they weigh more than 2 metric tons?

    …yep

  32. Brandon Anderson

    January 15, 2023 at 8:13 am

    They are heavier, there I saved everyone 6 min.

  33. Alex W

    January 15, 2023 at 8:24 am

    none of the EVs that were crash tested ever caught fire.

  34. replica

    January 15, 2023 at 8:40 am

    instant torque, proper suspension, low center of gravity and the moment of inertia makes it possible to avoid all accidents
    (battery cars have deflection zones where ice cars have an engine – softens the crash forces for the receiving end as well )

  35. Dashawn Smith

    January 15, 2023 at 8:59 am

    Tesla is the safest..on earth

  36. gtm559

    January 15, 2023 at 9:55 am

    I think for fire in the test they are not open circuit. I mean when car is off the battery is isolated in result no cutting cable to make short. Maybe I am wrong

  37. biv05

    January 15, 2023 at 10:13 am

    As a Civil Engineer, i wanna say that it’s a concrete block not a Cement Block

  38. PED Garage

    January 15, 2023 at 11:32 am

    Can you please add Kilos and kilometers per hours to your videos data since pounds and miles per hours are units understood only by U.s. citizens and the rest of the world is more familiar with the metric system instead of the imperial?
    Thanks.

  39. Peppe Ddu

    January 15, 2023 at 12:30 pm

    Call me suspicious but did the IIHS fully charged those EVs before crashing it?
    Did they use vehicles bought from a dealer instead of the auto makers supplying it?

    • CalienteFrijoles

      January 17, 2023 at 12:18 am

      I don’t an answer for the first question, but the IIHS does buy these vehicles directly from dealers. Mystery shoppers are what keep automakers in the dark, so they can’t provide an exceptionally great vehicle just for testing.

  40. Mike's Road Trip

    January 15, 2023 at 12:57 pm

    “Cement block?“ Correction…the proper term is concrete, cement is the glue.

  41. Kaushik N. Sanji

    January 15, 2023 at 1:57 pm

    More problems for pedestrians and cyclists because you can’t hear an EV coming towards you. Wonder when will they start regulating EV cars like how ebikes are being regulated.

  42. BEN ZED

    January 15, 2023 at 1:59 pm

    Oooo

  43. G. Carnell

    January 15, 2023 at 2:29 pm

    In addition to vehicle crashes, I am very concerned about pedestrian crashes, which are on the rise. I anticipate that — because of the added weight/speed of the EVs — we may see even more severe incidents.

    • R Swaim

      January 15, 2023 at 3:36 pm

      There are now pedestrian safety requirements for all cars, which is part of hood and front end design. Many of the new cars have an active system which will tilt the rear of the hood up to a specific angle upon initial contact with a person.

    • Manuel Zamora

      January 17, 2023 at 4:10 am

      It’d be great to have speed governors inside populated areas, especially school zones.

  44. LoneWolf

    January 15, 2023 at 3:21 pm

    ❤Jesus loves you – so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.❤

  45. Pramit

    January 15, 2023 at 4:06 pm

    Evs don’t have soul..
    ICE are love 💞

  46. Hanz

    January 15, 2023 at 9:14 pm

    How much they paid you for this video?

  47. Rōnin

    January 15, 2023 at 9:23 pm

    Don’t need to watch this, havier car will always win in a crash

  48. ELECTRIC CAR

    January 15, 2023 at 9:35 pm

    Electric cars are proving safer in a crash for a number of reasons:

    Weight: Electric cars typically have a heavier battery which helps to distribute weight more evenly across the vehicle, making it less likely to roll over in a crash.

    Lack of an engine: Electric cars do not have a traditional internal combustion engine which takes up a significant amount of space in the front of the car. This allows for a more spacious front crumple zone to help absorb the impact of a crash.

    Low center of gravity: Electric cars’ batteries are typically located in the floor of the vehicle, which results in a lower center of gravity. This helps to make the car more stable and less likely to roll over in a crash.

    Quietness: Electric cars are much quieter than traditional cars, which can help to reduce the number of accidents caused by pedestrians not hearing the car coming.

    Automatic Emergency Braking: Many electric cars come with Automatic Emergency Braking systems as standard, which can help to reduce the severity of a crash by automatically applying the brakes in the event of a potential collision.

    It’s important to note that safety in any vehicle is multi-faceted and the type of crash, road condition, and environmental factors can all play a role in the outcome of a crash.

  49. TheCoolDave

    January 15, 2023 at 10:49 pm

    This is news, there are alot of ICE based cars that are very safe as well. I still worry about long term batteries lasting. I’d never buy a new car, 2-4 years old is my range, as they drop in price a lot during that time.

  50. Stephen Lovatt

    January 15, 2023 at 11:36 pm

    We,l, he seems to know what he’s on about I suppose. Always worried about all that battery acid in a major crash Assuming there was an accompanying fire, which mixed with all that acid! Just think about it!

  51. velotilt

    January 16, 2023 at 1:45 am

    what bout fire doc??

  52. velotilt

    January 16, 2023 at 1:46 am

    aint getting many of those on 10 car hauler, $$$$$$$$

  53. cbrfast

    January 16, 2023 at 4:39 am

    This guy is a real Tucker Carlson, very manipulative in the way he presents the information. Basically EV’s are safer in a crash than ICE cars. But he can’t find a way to say that. Click bater!

  54. gundorethemighty

    January 16, 2023 at 6:11 am

    i still think electric still kinda dum .
    Battery pack can cost more then the whole car
    down the road your going to be spending more money on a battery then on gas down the road . due to every battery has a life span . no matter who makes them.
    i really don’t see the logic behind them . we not in star fleet yet . heck we can’t even fix the problem’s between nations .

  55. SpottedSharks

    January 16, 2023 at 9:45 pm

    You missed Tesla’s big safety advantage: the battery is at the bottom of the vehicle. Thus, its center of gravity is extremely low and makes it nigh impossible to flip.

  56. Jeremy Jackson

    January 16, 2023 at 10:01 pm

    I’m curious about the fatality rate for the person involved in an ev accident that’s not in a ev. Does that rate double since the weight of the ev they’re involved with is usually double?

    • Paul Camire

      January 17, 2023 at 1:53 pm

      The weight of an EV is not double the weight of a gas car. For example one of the best selling EVs out there (Tesla Model 3) weighs the same as it’s competing models from BMW, Mercedes, Audi.

    • Jeremy Jackson

      January 17, 2023 at 8:05 pm

      @Paul Camire  I’m not sure what models of those brands you’re comparing with but it’s common knowledge that EVs way significantly more then vehicles with a ICE

  57. WNF

    January 17, 2023 at 1:35 am

    🤮 gas ftw

  58. Manuel Zamora

    January 17, 2023 at 4:09 am

    Big heavy cars are more dangerous for everyone, especially kids who walk and bike. There’s one minor exception, the typically one person inside the car.

  59. kilgore farms

    January 17, 2023 at 1:42 pm

    pretty well balanced presentation. not overhyped fan-boi, nor electric-is-the-devil hater. I always enjoy your take, Brian.

  60. Tony de Veyra

    January 17, 2023 at 3:26 pm

    This video really understates the reasons why EV are safer…

  61. foxroano9t

    January 17, 2023 at 5:07 pm

    So safer…for now once its ev against Ev it will be interesting and fires will increase since they are about the same currently vs conventional

  62. deamon5959

    January 17, 2023 at 9:55 pm

    What kind of test dummies are they using? I read that there is an issue with them being representative of non “average males”, like female body types, resulting in unsafe vehicle designs for women.

  63. Ryan Slemmer

    January 18, 2023 at 1:28 am

    You kinda covered the why they’re not seeing the failures in their tests. 40MPH in a very controlled environment, with relatively large targets and impact points, none of which really come that close to the batteries. How many of these real world crashes with thermal runaway or battery failure are happening at significantly higher speeds, even hitting smaller objects with far smaller impact points. Curbs, center dividers, random road debris that couldn’t be avoided making a direct impact with battery housing compromising its integrity. They also need to start doing some EV to EV tests, this is going to become more commonplace; Especially until full autonomy.

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