Electric vehicles offer ‘unique’ road safety issues: Report

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A Transport Department report said Canadian road safety regulations have failed to keep pace with hazards posed by weighty electric vehicles.

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The report said large batteries add to the weight of a motor vehicle, representing a “key factor” in collisions, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.

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“Electrification of motor vehicles was flagged as a key factor influencing road safety and the motor vehicle industry,” said the report Evaluation of Road Safety Programs.

The report said added weight of electric vehicles has made regulations obsolete.

“The significant weight of electric vehicle batteries creates unique safety considerations,” said the authors.

“Electric vehicles can outweigh similarly sized gas-powered cars by hundreds of pounds, creating safety risks in a collision with a lighter vehicle. Their increased weight also means some heavier models may fall outside of Transport Canada’s testing standards altogether.”

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An electric Ford F-150 pickup can weigh 6,015 pounds or 2.7 metric tonnes, about 50% more than a standard gasoline powered F-150, according to Kelly Blue Book.

“The GMC Hummer EV SUV at over 9,000 pounds tops the electric vehicle weight charts,” according to Kelly Blue Book.

The report quoted one unidentified manager as complaining regulations were never presumed to apply to three- or four-tonne passenger vehicles.

“Electric vehicles are getting heavier and our performance requirements are based on weight,” the manager was quoted as saying.

“It can get to a point where they’re not even subject to the requirements anymore because they are past the point.”

The Transport Department said that “emerging gaps like these emphasize the importance of the regulations.” However, the Environment Department, while mandating electric vehicle sales quotas, made only passing reference to road safety considerations.

Insurance payouts were higher for electric vehicles since they “tend to be heavier due to the weight of batteries on board,” a 2022 regulatory impact analysis statement said.

Mandates were to take effect with an initial 20% sales quota on new 2026 model vehicles, but Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended that in September.

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