Evaluation of Run-off-Road Crashes Involving Battery-Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) are increasing in popularity and are among the fastest-growing segments in new vehicle sales. Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are the highest-selling class of EV. BEVs use a unique frame construction (i.e., a “skateboard” chassis) with a heavy battery pack located below the occupant’s floorpan, and are heavier and have lower centers-of-gravity than internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs)—factors that could affect their crashworthiness with roadside features. A crash study was performed to compare the crash conditions for BEVs to ICEVs and hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) covering the numbers of vehicles, posted speed limits, crash locations, time of day, weather conditions, crash severities, and roadside fixed objects struck. Eight state departments of transportation provided crash data spanning 5 years that included vehicle identification numbers or make, model, and year combinations, which were used to isolate BEVs from ICEVs. Crash results were reviewed and EV crash conditions were found to be similar to those of ICEV and HEV crash conditions. Moreover, the frequency of run-off-road crashes was similar for BEVs and ICEVs. Because no substantial differences were observed between the two datasets, it is recommended that impact conditions described in the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware be utilized during preliminary evaluation of roadside hardware using electric vehicles.