> The insurer notes, though, that the risk of fires in both EVs and combustion vehicles is overstated. Statistically, it found that just five of every 10,000 vehicles fall victim to fire.
> There is one area in which EVs are likelier to cause accidents, and that’s under acceleration. The high, instant torque of electric motors is leading to circumstances in which EV drivers stab the throttle then lift off, sometimes leading to a loss of control and a crash.
It also mentions the increasing weight of the vehicles and the resulting increased forces, leading to more damage.
[1] “The underbody seems to be the Achilles’ heel of electric cars because the battery is not additionally protected there. Drivers should be aware of that,” Michael Pfäffli points out. Manufacturers are called upon not to underestimate the "danger from below" and to ensure adequate protection for example by providing the underbody with a titanium plate or similar high-resistance materials."
None of these finding feel related to the vehicle being an EV, but are instead because the vehicles are expensive. I bet if the comparison was done against similarly priced ICE vehicles only, then the results would not be so different. A Mercedes S-class is also ridiculously powerful, quite heavy, and full of technology that is expensive to repair in an accident.
In the USA at least, most EVs are still lighter than the most common vehicle sold: the full-sized pickup. Which have the added safety issue of having bumpers aimed at the heads of other drivers and pedestrians.
It's slightly surprising about the increase in accidents since EVs tend to be loaded with tech, including sophisticated traction and stability management. The throttles are all driven by software, so it shouldn't be too difficult to modify behavior for future production (or OTA updates).
> There is one area in which EVs are likelier to cause accidents, and that’s under acceleration. The high, instant torque of electric motors is leading to circumstances in which EV drivers stab the throttle then lift off, sometimes leading to a loss of control and a crash.
It also mentions the increasing weight of the vehicles and the resulting increased forces, leading to more damage.