The fact that electric cars weigh so much is largely due to their large and heavy battery packs, and in SUVs and pickup trucks they are often particularly large and heavy to ensure a good range.
The fact that the batteries are usually located in the floor of the cars is certainly good for the center of gravity and thus road holding, but the great weight can be a challenge for existing road infrastructure.
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Cut through guardrail
Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln recently drove a Rivian R1T, which is an electric pickup weighing a little over 3 tons, into a regular American road barrier but at a speed of around 100 km/h.
The idea was to see how the railing would handle the impact. Not at all, was the answer.
The result of the test is quite frightening, as the pickaxe cuts through the railing completely without changing course.
After this, the truck had enough kinetic energy to also jump over the row of concrete sows behind it.
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Electric cars can get heavier
On the American road network, there are over 100,000 inspections per year. With an increasing amount of electric cars on the roads, the risk of accidents is becoming increasingly serious.
The test is also relevant to the debate about the total weight of electric cars in Sweden.
During the last year, one was submitted exercise submitted to the Riksdag to raise the maximum permitted total weight for ordinary passenger car driving licenses to 4,250 kilos.
Currently, the maximum permitted total weight for a passenger car or light truck is 3,500 kilos, which means that some electric cars, such as the Rivian R1T, must instead be registered as trucks.
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