As electric vehicles (EVs) become more common, concerns are growing over whether existing roadside safety infrastructure, such as guardrails, can handle their increased weight. EVs are significantly heavier than traditional gas-powered vehicles, raising questions about the ability of current safety barriers to contain them during crashes.
A recent crash involving a 2021 Tesla on the 405 Freeway in Irvine, California, exemplified the problem. The Tesla, weighing far more than most gas-powered vehicles, smashed through a guardrail, resulting in the driver’s death. This incident has spurred research into how well current infrastructure can protect against the unique challenges posed by EVs.
In one study, researchers at the University of Nebraska crashed a 7,000-pound electric pickup truck into standard concrete barriers. The barriers, commonly used as freeway medians, contained the collision, but significant damage occurred. Chunks of concrete were sent flying, and several barriers were pushed back much farther than expected — 50% more than in tests with gas-powered vehicles.
“Unfortunately, these guardrail systems, which have performed very well with gasoline vehicles historically, do not appear to be containing electric vehicles when impacting the similar types of conditions,” said Cody Stolle, associate professor at the University of Nebraska.
The concern is shared by many experts. Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), warned that most guardrails and crash attenuators are rated for vehicles weighing up to 5,000 pounds. “Many of these [electric] vehicles go up to 10,000 pounds, so that has an impact on safety,” Homendy said during a Senate hearing in March.
In a similar test conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, a standard guardrail failed to contain an electric sedan, further highlighting the need for updated infrastructure.
The stakes are high, as roadside crashes account for nearly half of all traffic deaths, with more than 19,000 fatalities in the U.S. last year alone. Guardrails and barriers are designed to reduce the severity of such crashes, but their effectiveness with heavier EVs remains a pressing question.
Nebraska Republican Sen. Deb Fischer emphasized the urgency of addressing this issue, saying, “There was a lot of damage. And again, if there would’ve been vehicles on the other side of that barrier, we would’ve seen a severe accident.”
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that by 2032, half of all new car sales will be electric vehicles, leaving limited time to upgrade roadside safety systems to accommodate their increased weight.
