Vegas Lawyer

Electric Vehicle Safety

Design, weight and weight distribution for EV's/HEV's may be such that compliance with existing crashworthiness safety standards will pose difficulties. Additionally, there are potential hazards during a crash of electric shock, contact with toxic electrolytes, and battery system explosion.

Federal and state requirements based on environmental concerns are leading manufacturers to develop low or zero emission vehicles that may be marketed in significant numbers within the next few years. A regulation of the California Air Resources Board requires that ten percent of a manufacturer's sales must be zero emission vehicles (ZEV's) beginning in model year 2003. Credits will also be given for the production of hybrid low, ultra-low and super-ultra-low emission vehicles, which could bring the actual ZEV numbers down to around four percent of the vehicles sold (approximately 22,000 ZEV's in 2003).

Read more from the NHTSA article Electric Vehicle Safety