Results of the crash tests of electric cars

The work presents the results of crash tests carried out with six electrical car models (from 2012-2013), with the weight of 1200-2300 kg (Smart Electric Driver, Mitsubishi IMiEV, Nissan Leaf, CODA, Ford Focus BEV, Tesla Model S). The results were published on the Internet by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (USA), and the tests involved a car travelling at the speed of 56 km/h, hitting frontally into a non-deformable (stiff) barrier, positioned perpendicularly to the car’s direction of movement. Particular attention was paid to the deformation of the car after hitting the barrier, so-called stiffness characteristics of the frontal crumple zone, and to the loads on the dummies placed at the driver’s and passenger’s seat (Hybrid III, a 50-centile man and a 5-centile woman). Results of the tests with electric cars were compared with the results of the tests with over a hundred of combustion engine cars with similar weight and type of car body (sedan, hatchback). The tests proved that, in the majority of electrical cars tested, the deformation of the frontal crumple zone after hitting an obstacle is larger than in case of similar cars with internal combustion engine. Because of that, the dynamic loads on the occupants of the vehicle tend to be smaller, as indicated by measured loads on the heads and chests of the dummies. The results may suggest that the frontal crumple zone may be better constructed in the case of electric cars, while the design possibilities regarding that area are limited in standard cars due to the combustion engine, which is not deformed during the accident, which makes it more difficult for the energy of the crash to dissipate.