EV Protection System in the Event of An Accident

www.informationautomotive.com - Electric cars can still be said to be a new item in the automotive market. Not only in Indonesia, but also in most parts of the world. Many aspects are still a question mark in the minds of the general public related to electric cars, one of which is about safety. How safe is an electric car compared to a conventional internal combustion engine car?

EV Protection System in the Event of An Accident

By involving the engineering team and the long development process of each manufacturer, electric cars are certainly not just any. There are calculations and in-depth consideration of how the car can be comfortable and safely driven by consumers. The biggest concerns regarding the safety of electric cars today revolve around the potential for fire and electrocution during accidents.

Nissan, as one of the manufacturers with sales of the world's best-selling electric cars, states the quality of safety owned by electric cars is as good as conventional cars. It is asserted that the safety level of nissan electric car passengers is as good when and after an accident than conventional cars.

Wayne Harris, Nissan Australia's Manager of Electrification, claims that there are no vulnerable areas of electric cars when compared to regular cars of their class equivalent. "In accident regulations there are specific requirements for electric cars related to the prevention of electric shocks and electrolyte spills," Harris said.

While from Mercedes-Benz as an electric car manufacturer in the premium class states that there is extra protection in the electric cars they make. Compared to conventional cars, the protection provided by Mercedes-Benz electric cars is not only about passenger safety and crumple-zone on the body and chassis of the car. More protection is also provided for battery components in the event of a collision.

Electric car batteries that contain many cells can cause fires when an accident occurs, if not properly packaged by the manufacturer. Even the criteria for research and development of electric cars also include testing the reaction of batteries during impact and when penetrated by foreign objects, with simulations of excess heat and overload as well.

"The battery is surrounded by a sturdy frame with an inseparable impact structure. The deformation element is installed between the frame and the battery, and it is able to absorb additional force in the event of a severe side impact," explained Sarah Widmann, spokesperson for Intelligent Drive & Passive Safety at Mercedes-Benz.

Nissan Leaf

So what about the potential for electric shocks? Mercedes-Benz also claims that when the car's electric system is exposed due to an accident, users will still be guaranteed safety. The German manufacturer has a "multi-stage safety" concept that works in the event of an accident. The high-voltage electric system in the car will automatically turn off when a collision is detected. That way in a matter of seconds there is no residual voltage in the high voltage system outside the battery that can cause injury.

Even in an emergency after a not-so-severe accident, the system still allows the electric car to be turned on and re-driven if there is no potential for harmful damage. This can be used to continue the journey to a safe place or repair.

Speaking about the cost of repairing electric cars due to accidents, whether more expensive than conventional cars, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz said it will depend on the level of damage to the car. Basically, you could say there is no big difference between electric cars and conventional cars.