WASHINGTON — The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday that she's concerned about the safety risks of heavy electric vehicles.
A GMC Hummer EV weighs more than 9,000 pounds, Jennifer Homendy said, with a battery that weighs more than 2,900 pounds. The battery alone is around the weight of a Honda Civic.
A Ford F-150 Lightning is up to 3,000 pounds heavier than the non-electric version, and the Mustang Mach-E, Volvo XC40 EV and the Toyota RAV4 EV are all around one-third heavier than their gas-powered counterparts, she added.
"I am concerned about the increased risk of severe injury and death for all road users from heavier curb weights and the increasing size, power and performance of vehicles on our roads, including electric vehicles," Homendy told an audience at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington.
She said she's "inspired" by the Biden administration's commitment to phasing out carbon emissions and supports the push toward electric vehicles.
"We do have a climate crisis that needs to be addressed," she said. "But we have to be careful that we aren't also creating unintended consequences ... safety, especially when it comes to new policies and new technologies ... cannot be overlooked ever."
The NTSB serves as a safety watchdog, investigating transportation crashes and offering an annual "most wanted" list of federal regulations to improve road safety. But it has no power to create regulations or set policy, which is the purview of Congress and, for vehicles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In an interview with The Detroit News following her remarks, Homendy said mass and velocity are two of the biggest risk factors when it comes to crashes. It "has a significant impact" whether it's a crash with another vehicle or a pedestrian or cyclist.
The Biden administration has been avidly promoting the auto industry's transition to electric vehicles and supported federal incentives put into law last year through the Inflation Reduction Act.
Democrats approved $360 billion for climate and clean energy policies, including new consumer tax credits for electric vehicles, incentives to mine and process critical battery minerals, funding to revamp EV and battery manufacturing facilities and build new ones, and more. They also approved nearly $53 billion for semiconductor chip research and production, which are crucial for EVs.
Electric vehicles are proven to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions, and transportation is the highest-emitting sector of the U.S. economy. But there's been little public discussion by President Joe Biden or Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg about the particular risks heavy EVs pose, even as roadway deaths remain high.
Buttigieg, who has called the recent spike in road fatalities a "national crisis," is committed to safety, Homendy told The News. "But I think as new technologies come around, including electric vehicles, we have to make sure that we're focused on safety at the forefront," both in terms of battery pack weight and fire risks.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an advocacy group representing most major automakers in the U.S., did not respond directly to Homendy's comments but said in a statement: "Safety is a top priority of the auto industry. Vehicles continue to get even more safe as automakers across the board test, develop and integrate new safety technologies that can help save lives and prevent injuries."
Gas-powered vehicles have also become increasingly heavy over the last several decades, thanks in part to consumer preference for SUVs and pickups and a longstanding provision in federal emissions standards that allows SUVs and light-duty trucks to pollute more than sedans. Cars, SUVs and pickup trucks have gotten 12%, 7% and 32% heavier, respectively, since 1990.
Electric vehicle sales have been growing in recent years and are expected to rapidly accelerate as automakers transition manufacturing facilities and invest in battery, chip and mineral production. Electric vehicles could make up a third of new vehicle sales in North America by 2029, according to estimates by AutoForecast Solutions, and reach more than a quarter of vehicles produced globally.
