A pilot analysis of crash severity of electric passenger cars in Spain (2016–2020)

Abstract

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INTRODUCTION By March 2022, Spain had 169,741 battery and plug-in electric vehicles (EVs), comprising nearly 12% of new registered vehicles and 0.65% of the total vehicle fleet (EAFO, 2022). Although Spain's EV adoption lags behind other European nations, the EU's push for sustainable transportation aims to increase clean car usage to 16-35% by 2025 (European Commission, 2019). EVs come in three types: hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV), and battery electric vehicles (BEV). Despite differing propulsion methods, all EVs share a shift towards electric power and reduced emissions, impacting vehicle design, driving behavior, and crash dynamics, particularly in urban areas. This pilot study examines real-world collision data from Spain (2016-2020) to compare injury risks between EVs and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Data from Spain's General Directorate for Traffic (DGT) encompass various crash factors such as seat belt usage, fatalities, crash locations, and impact directions. RESULTS EV crashes increased in Spain until 2020, with a similar trend observed in ICE vehicle crashes. Analysis of frontal impacts in urban areas revealed comparable proportions of fatalities and serious injuries between belted occupants in EVs and ICE vehicles. Similarly, outside urban areas, injury risks between the two vehicle types were statistically insignificant, albeit with higher point estimates for ICE vehicles.

DISCUSSION Though limited by data constraints, this study suggests that belted EV occupants may exhibit lower injury risks in frontal impacts compared to ICE vehicles, particularly outside urban areas. Notably, a study in Norway found no significant differences in injury severity between EVs and ICE vehicles, albeit with a smaller sample size. Further research is warranted to explore crash performance differences comprehensively.