April 9, 2022 – Battery-powered cars and trucks tend to be far heavier than their gas-burning counterparts. That extra bulk translates into a mixed bag of benefits and concerns, especially when it comes to safety.
The occupants of heavy vehicles tend to fare better in an accident. Despite the extra pounds, most of the current crop of electric vehicles decelerate at distances in line with – and sometimes better than – similarly sized gas vehicles.
Electric vehicles have regenerative braking systems in which the electric motors slow the machine slightly while generating power. Brembo, which supplies many of the brakes to carmakers, says the regenerative systems often entirely compensate for the additional weight, which is typically at least 10% more than that of a similar combustion vehicle.
