Safety Precautions and Assessments for Crashes Involving Electric Vehicles

Fully electric vehicles are being introduced to the passenger car market in addition to the already popular hybrid vehicles. There are existing and proposed standards for the design of these vehicles to reduce the risk of occupants and rescue personnel being exposed to hazards such as corrosive chemicals, toxic fumes, fire and electric shock in the event of a crash. Some manufacturers are understood to be working with rescue organisations to develop appropriate procedures for dealing with these crashes. New Car Assessment Programs (NCAPs) have subjected several petrol-electric hybrid vehicles to the 64km/h frontal offset crash test, 50km/h barrier side impact test and the 29km/h side pole test. No problems with the electrical systems or batteries were encountered. These tests have generally involved vehicles with lead-acid or NiMH batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are becoming popular and these might introduce different hazards for crash-test and rescue personnel. In October 2010 a research crash test of an electric car with a Lithium-ion battery was conducted by Australasian NCAP and Japan NCAP. Additionally, Euro NCAP has also assessed a number of vehicles powered by Li-ion batteries. This paper reviews the safety hazards and outcomes associated with those tests and provides draft advice for crash test and rescue organisations.