Electric Vehicle Safety Tests Reveal Mixed Results
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released new safety test results for seven popular electric vehicles, revealing performance details for collision scenarios.
In tests simulating head-on collisions at 40 mph, four vehicles—BMW i4, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Tesla Cybertruck, and Volkswagen ID.Buzz—received top ratings of “Good.” The Tesla Model 3 achieved an “Acceptable” rating, while Nissan Ariya earned a “Marginal” rating due to high chest injury risks for back seat passengers. The Ford F-150 Lightning received the lowest rating of “Poor,” with indicators of significant injury risks for rear seat passengers.
“Most people think … bigger is better. The vehicle structurally held up really well in this crash, but fell short in protecting the rear seat position,” said IIHS Vice President Raul Arbelaez.
IIHS also assessed pedestrian crash avoidance technology, with the BMW, Ford, and Tesla models receiving top marks. Five of the seven vehicles tested received “Acceptable” ratings for headlights; however, the BMW and Cybertruck were rated “Poor.”
Automaker Responses
In light of the findings, automakers issued statements regarding their commitment to safety:
Ford stated, “Safety is a top priority… We are always working to continuously improve, and we consider IIHS and other third-party feedback in vehicle development.”
Nissan emphasized its commitment to customer safety, stating, “Nissan is evaluating the results… and will continue to work with IIHS in all matters related to customer safety.”
Tesla and BMW did not provide comments when contacted.