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Crash tests indicate guardrail system can't handle heavy electric vehicles

3 points by WaitWaitWha 3y ago

WaitWaitWha 3y ago
I just saw a parking garage in Wash DC where a sign read that electric vehicles are only allowed on ground floor. We have to figure out a lighter solution. I am really digging hydrogen.
- drewg123 3y ago
  Except containing hydrogen requires bulky tanks. I was curious, and googled.. It turns out the only hydrogen car I'm aware of that's on sale in the US (Toyota Mirai) weighs several hundred pounds more than the most popular EV in the US (Tesla Model 3).. ~4300lbs vs ~3900lbs. Except the Mirai isn't a pure hydrogen car.. its more of an EV with a hydrogen powered generator. I'm not aware of any purely hydrogen fueled cars on sale. i watched a fascinating YT video by Engineering Explained that went into the reasons why a pure hydrogen car is not practical (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJjKwSF9gT8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJjKwSF9gT8)
Gibbon1 3y ago
It's a good thing they can handle my Dodge RAM 1500. Else I'd be worried.
- WaitWaitWha 3y ago
  Good point. Are they saying that rails today can only handle small passenger cars? The Dodge RAM 1500 TRX is 7,800 lbs GVWR.
  - I_Am_Nous 3y ago
    >Last fall, engineers at Nebraska’s Midwest Roadside Safety Facility watched as an electric-powered pickup truck hurtled toward a guardrail installed on the facility’s testing ground on the edge of the local municipal airport. The nearly 4-ton (3.6 metric ton) 2022 Rivian R1T tore through the metal guardrail and hardly slowed until hitting a concrete barrier yards away on the other side. >“We knew it was going to be an extremely demanding test of the roadside safety system,” said Cody Stolle with the facility. “The system was not made to handle vehicles greater than 5,000 pounds.” Looks like they were designed for "normal" weight cars. Looking it up, a "huge" car like a 60s/70s Chevelle SS only weighs 3200 pounds with an enormous V8 in it.
  - Gibbon1 3y ago
    From what the press is saying there is something extra special about the weight of electric vehicles (very bad, very bad indeed) vs gasoline and diesel vehicles (no one cares). Very similar to how electric cars and heat pumps are going to overload the electric grid while people installing central air is a nothing burger.

3 points by WaitWaitWha 3y ago

I just saw a parking garage in Wash DC where a sign read that electric vehicles are only allowed on ground floor. We have to figure out a lighter solution. I am really digging hydrogen.

drewg123 3y ago
Except containing hydrogen requires bulky tanks. I was curious, and googled.. It turns out the only hydrogen car I'm aware of that's on sale in the US (Toyota Mirai) weighs several hundred pounds more than the most popular EV in the US (Tesla Model 3).. ~4300lbs vs ~3900lbs. Except the Mirai isn't a pure hydrogen car.. its more of an EV with a hydrogen powered generator. I'm not aware of any purely hydrogen fueled cars on sale. i watched a fascinating YT video by Engineering Explained that went into the reasons why a pure hydrogen car is not practical (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJjKwSF9gT8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJjKwSF9gT8)

Gibbon1 3y ago

It's a good thing they can handle my Dodge RAM 1500. Else I'd be worried.

WaitWaitWha 3y ago
Good point. Are they saying that rails today can only handle small passenger cars? The Dodge RAM 1500 TRX is 7,800 lbs GVWR.
- I_Am_Nous 3y ago
  >Last fall, engineers at Nebraska’s Midwest Roadside Safety Facility watched as an electric-powered pickup truck hurtled toward a guardrail installed on the facility’s testing ground on the edge of the local municipal airport. The nearly 4-ton (3.6 metric ton) 2022 Rivian R1T tore through the metal guardrail and hardly slowed until hitting a concrete barrier yards away on the other side. >“We knew it was going to be an extremely demanding test of the roadside safety system,” said Cody Stolle with the facility. “The system was not made to handle vehicles greater than 5,000 pounds.” Looks like they were designed for "normal" weight cars. Looking it up, a "huge" car like a 60s/70s Chevelle SS only weighs 3200 pounds with an enormous V8 in it.
- Gibbon1 3y ago
  From what the press is saying there is something extra special about the weight of electric vehicles (very bad, very bad indeed) vs gasoline and diesel vehicles (no one cares). Very similar to how electric cars and heat pumps are going to overload the electric grid while people installing central air is a nothing burger.