Fresh consumer research by Confused.com ranked the safest cars on the road, and electric vehicles fared well.
"EVs generally perform well in crash tests — lacking a heavy front engine allows for more spacious crumple zones and better weight distribution, which can help prevent flipping," Confused.com motoring expert Rhydian Jones said, per Teslarati. "Both Tesla and Polestar offer a wide range of safety features, including radars and sensors for detecting external risks and onboard technology to protect you if you do crash."
The study looked at safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and its New Car Assessment Program. The research spanned 2,317 vehicles across 34 brands released since 2014. The researchers also analyzed 833,761 complaints to gauge overall consumer reception.
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If you were going to purchase an EV which of these factors would be most important to you? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Good driving range 🔋 The five brands that achieved 5-star safety ratings across all their vehicles were Volvo, Subaru, Tesla, Genesis, and Polestar.
NHTSA rates cars after putting them through a gauntlet of tests. This includes frontal crash, side crash, rollover resistance, and crash avoidance performance assessments. In general, EVs were safer than traditional internal combustion cars: 91.59% of EVs enjoyed a 5-star safety rating versus 69.28% of gas-guzzlers, per the Confused.com analysis.
Driving an EV means you're not burning gas, so you can save a lot of money on a day-to-day basis. Relying on electricity also means you're not directly producing pollution, which is good news considering light-duty vehicles are causing a healthy chunk of planet-warming pollution. EVs aren't without their costs, of course.
Producing an EV is more pollution-heavy than making a gas car because of battery manufacturing. Grids that run on dirty energy bump up the carbon cost of recharging, too, but even with those factors taken into account, EVs are still cleaner in the long run. If you're ready to make the switch, based on the research, which car brand should you roll with?
"We noticed that Tesla and Subaru stand out as strong options based on safety alone," Confused.com's Megan Rahou said. "These brands are using the latest innovations and technological advances to create the safest cars on the market. If you want to go the extra mile, an electric car is the best option for safety and reliability. Look for advanced safety assists like automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping technology, and child protection features."
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