Why electric cars are safer and more reliable.

Any new technology will have to face its share of scrutiny, doubts and suspicions; it is no different with EVs. There exists anxiety among people about the safety and other concerns regarding electric vehicles. One of the major issues EVs faced since their arrival is affordability and it has been answered by car leasing companies in India like ALD Automotive. They are exclusively functioning to make cars affordable to everyone.

The cost to lease a car is less, also the car leasing tax benefits and other add-on benefits actually make leasing an EV profitable. It makes the question cost nothing but a pointless concern. But when we look at the safety part, the few causes for concern have created anxiety among people. It is important for us to look beyond the façade and confront the facts. It is no lie that EVs come with their unique set of problems just like their strengths. The truth is that with the help of extensive R&D and expertise employed at OEM, solutions to many of these have been found. Unlike ICE, EV technology is improving day by day.

As your leasing partner, ALD Automotive answers some of the common questions concerning the safety of EVs. Read on to find out whether EVs are the right choice for you and if they are safe enough. Let's look at some of the safety features of EVs.

Build and structural integrity

Even though the structural differences between EVs and ICEs vary from model to model they pretty much look the same. Some of the EV models are closer to the ICE models and they are mostly from the low-cost category. Some of them are Tata Nexon EV, Hyundai Ioniq, Nissan Leaf, Kona Electric and MG ZS EV. You have essentially the same body and backbone since the battery goes where the fuel tank is and the electric motor is placed in the front where the combustion engine goes. But to reduce the plausibility of rolling over the battery pack is built as a structural part of the platform of the vehicle by some premium manufacturers like Jaguar and Tesla. The center of gravity is low in this case and it is very unlikely to roll over. This design is commonly called the 'skateboard' and this increases the 'crumple zone'. It makes EVs of this category a lot safer than ICEs since most of the impact of the crash is absorbed by the 'crumple zone'.

 

Safety in event of a crash

Extensive testing and safety regulations are followed when building an EV. And the mandatory tests that make the car as safe as possible differ from country to country. 

With adequate risk management, lithium-ion batteries in EVs are by far the safest technology available today. Now the question of random, spontaneous EV fires remains. It is very unlikely that the Li-ion battery spontaneously catches on fire even though there have been reports of EV fires. We have to look at the underlying causes here, and it is usually physical damage due to an accident or the batteries exceeding their safe temperature. Both of these have been addressed as potential risk elements in most EVs.

A tamper-proof, crash-resistant structure is present to protect EV batteries. On top of that, EVs are built with a system which disconnects the battery during the event of a crash. To cut the connection from high voltage cables, the special pyro fuses are triggered and there are multiple sensors that detect a collision. This process takes place in milliseconds to ensure the safety of everyone in the car.

To keep the battery safe during crashes, the German automotive expert Bosch presented a system which cuts all high voltage connections to the battery by driving a small wedge into the connecting cables when the airbag is triggered. If the accident is major and it induces a fire, it actually takes significantly longer for the battery to catch on fire compared to petrol or diesel vehicles. Fossil fuels catch on fire rapidly and pose a threat to life. In the case of EVs, you get more time to evacuate and it buys time for help to arrive.

 

Electricity as the power source

The absence of highly flammable fossil fuels is one major advantage of using electricity as the power source. The most dangerous situation during a crash is the damage to the fuel tank which exposes the flammable fuels. As mentioned before, EV avoids this situation from ever arising.

We all know that the number of charging stations is increasing on a daily basis and the question of safety concerning charging remains. Is it safe to charge an EV while it is raining? All charging stations need to follow strict safety mandates and the question regarding rain is understandable since we have always heard water and electricity do not combine well.

But the truth cannot be more opposite, It is actually safe to charge your EV in the rain. The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) is present in most modern public stations and it detects any sudden surge in electricity so it can shut down the supply. You can charge your EV anywhere, anytime without holding back since the charging infrastructure is designed to withstand different weather conditions.

 

Safety technology

Safety is significant to an EV's design. Advanced safety technologies are offered by a few premium manufacturers like Tesla, Mercedes Benz, Jaguar etc. Very soon these techs will find their way to low-cost EVs as well. Some techs can even spot instances of unsafe driving like the indication of fatigue. The self-driving feature is the latest technology in EVs and it contributes to the improvement of road safety because they often provide lane assist systems and other features that help to keep you safe.

To avoid the temperature difference affecting the charge and discharge rate, all EVs have well-developed cooling systems. The system keeps the car battery from heating up and they can be either air-based cooling or fluid-based.

An odd problem exclusive to EVs is the absence of noise. It is because the internal combustion engine is not present and this has become a safety risk for pedestrians since everyone is accustomed to vehicle noise and behaves according to the noise. To remove this risk, most EVs today come with a built-in noise placed in front and rear to indicate the vehicle's presence to pedestrians.

To ensure safety, you can conduct routine checks, maintenance and repairs on your EV. But with a leasing partner like ALD Automotive, you can avoid spending your time on these because we take care of it for you. Enjoy hassle-free EV leasing with ALD.