Preliminary Tests Show Highway Guardrails Unfit for Heavy Electric Vehicles

A recent crash test at the University of Nebraska Lincoln’s Midwest Roadside Safety Facility indicates that the nation’s guardrails may not be suitable for heavier electric vehicles (EVs). The nearly 4-ton 2022 Rivian R1T crashed through a metal guardrail and barely slowed down before hitting a concrete barrier, highlighting the concern over weight disparity between lighter gas-powered cars and heavier electric options. As EVs become more popular, transportation officials are expressing growing concerns. The test crash was intended to see how guardrails, which are set up along tens of thousands of miles of roads in the United States, would fare against electric vehicles that weigh thousands of pounds more than an average sedan. The batteries required to achieve an EV's travel range make them heavier, and the weight difference poses a threat to people in lighter cars. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Research and Development Center sponsored the crash test to address the growing concern over the weight disparity between lighter gas-powered cars and the new, heavier electric options.