XPost: alt.energy.automobile, alt.politics.usa, misc.taxes   
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   From: bozo-joes@greenpeace.org   
      
   On 07 Dec 2021, Biden sucks  posted some   
   news:sooktb$hqp$181@news.dns-netz.com:   
      
   > Biden doesn't give a shit about Americans or the consequences of his   
   > Obama fed decisions.   
      
   Vehicles are adding poundage as the auto industry goes electric — and   
   that's problematic for traffic safety, parking garages and roads.   
      
   Why it matters: Gas vehicles are slowly giving way to electric vehicles   
   as investors, regulators and consumers clamor for more environmentally   
   sustainable transportation.   
      
   State of play: Electric vehicles can be anywhere from hundreds to   
   thousands of pounds heavier than similarly sized gas vehicles because EV   
   batteries are so much heavier than engines.   
      
   For example, the 2023 GMC Hummer EV, a full-size pickup, weighs more   
   than 9,000 pounds, sporting a 2,900-pound battery. In comparison, the   
   2023 GMC Sierra, also a full-size pickup, weighs less than 6,000 pounds,   
   according to Kelley Blue Book. The average weight of U.S. vehicles has   
   already increased from about 3,400 pounds to 4,300 pounds over the last   
   30 years as Americans have ditched passenger cars for pickups and SUVs,   
   according to Evercore ISI analysts. Threat level: Safety watchdogs are   
   raising concerns after the recent deadly collapse of a parking garage in   
   New York City called attention to the challenge of creaking   
   infrastructure.   
      
   Traffic safety is particularly concerning. In crashes, the "baseline   
   fatality probability" increases 47% for every 1,000 additional pounds in   
   the vehicle — and the fatality risk is even higher if the striking   
   vehicle is a light truck (SUV, pickup truck, or minivan), according to a   
   2011 study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. "Since   
   we’re seeing pedestrian and roadway fatalities at record levels, the   
   introduction of more weight into crashes via EVs will complicate any   
   attempts to reduce the ongoing fatality crisis that has showed no signs   
   of abating," Center for Auto Safety acting executive director Michael   
   Brooks tells Axios in an email. Flashback: In a speech in January,   
   National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy praised the   
   effort to reduce carbon emissions by switching to EVs but warned of the   
   "unintended consequences" being "more death on our roads," the AP   
   reported.   
      
   While the Manhattan parking garage collapse in early April was not   
   blamed on EVs, the disaster nonetheless underscored an issue of growing   
   concern: whether aging roads and old garages can handle all the extra   
   weight. Less than two weeks before the collapse, a British Parking   
   Association official recommended that parking structures integrate   
   higher load-bearing weights amid concerns about more EVs, the Telegraph   
   reported. The big question: Can automakers make batteries more   
   energy-efficient so that they weigh less yet still pack a powerful   
   punch?   
      
   "Unless we see incredibly rapid advances in battery design and vehicle   
   designs, and taking smart steps like using battery energy density gains   
   to save weight rather than extend range, or opening the doors to battery   
   swapping, we are likely to see many additional deaths and injuries   
   attributable solely to the added weight of EV batteries," Brooks says.   
      
   https://www.axios.com/2023/04/28/evs-weight-safety-problems   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)