User:Nash Albrecht/Electric vehicle

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The US Department of Energy now requires electric vehicles to meet Federal Motor Vehicles Safety standards. These standards demand that electric vehicle safety features be the same as conventional combustion engine vehicles. However, there are different requirements between commercial and non-commercial vehicles. Commercial vehicles must meet all federal safety standards, while the non-commercial vehicles are subject to less stringent safety requirements. Due to concerns regarding battery explosions, shorts, and fires in electric vehicles, new safety features have been developed that encase the batteries in sealed shells that prevent these concerns due to extreme temperatures, short circuits, water immersion, humidity, overcharging, fires, and collision.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety(IIHS) has gathered evidence showing that electric vehicles meet the same safety requirements as combustion engine vehicles. Several 2021 electric vehicles have earned the Top Safety Pick+ designation given by the IIHS. These vehicles include the 2021 Volvo XC220 Recharge and the Tesla Model 3. Also, the Ford Mustang Mach E earned the lower tier award Top Safety Pick. The lower tier 2021 Top Safety Pick award requires good ratings in all six IIHS crashworthiness tests — driver- and passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints as well as good or acceptable headlights. These vehicles must also earn advanced or superior ratings in front crash prevention systems. The higher tier Top Safety Pick+ must meet the standards listed above as well as earning good or acceptable headlights across all trim levels and packages.