Mercedes Is Smashing EVs In Public To Fight Safety Concerns

Oct. 14, 2023 8:04 AM ET byJarryd Neves Crash /2 Comments

The brand wants to prove its EQ models are as safe as its ICE-powered offerings.

Mercedes-Benz has always been apioneer in the field of safety. In a world-first, the Stuttgart-based automaker has publicly conducted a crash test between two electric vehicles, an EQA crossover and anEQS SUV.

To show just how safe its EQ models are, the automaker went above and beyond the current legal requirements for safety.Euro NCAP crash tests vehiclesinto a 3,086-pound trolley with an overlap and at a set speed of 31 mph. Using the much heavier EQA and EQS SUV (5,963 lbs in its lightest configuration) puts more stress on both vehicles. What's more, the crash test was conducted at 34.8 mph, which makes a difference in an accident.

Following the violent crash, both vehicles are in a sorry state, with tortured plastic, twisted metal, and debris strewn everywhere. But they performed just as Mercedes' engineers expected.

The crumple zones absorbed energy as designed, leaving the passenger safety cell intact. As a result, the doors could still be opened, allowing the occupants to exit the car. Many consumers fear what happens after an electric vehicle crashes, such as a battery fire. This is a valid concern, as several EVs have gone up in flamesafter a severe impact. Then again, ICE-powered vehiclesalso run that risk.

But to put your mind at ease, the high-voltage systems in Mercedes-EQ models are automatically switched off in a crash. The accident simulated here is representative of a real-life impact that commonly occurs on rural roads, particularly after a failed overtaking attempt. Mercedes wants to design cars that pass safety tests and provide the best protection in real-world accidents.

Based on readings from the advanced crash test dummies, there was a low risk of serious to fatal injuries. This means that both vehicles' restraint systems and crumple zones offer good protection against severe injuries.

For a good representation, each vehicle carried two adult dummies, one male and three females in total. Thefemale crash test dummy- the Hybrid III 5th Percentile Female - is 4.9 ft tall and weighs just 108 lbs. According to the latest statistics, only 5% of women worldwide are smaller or lighter than this, which indicates how these cars protect smaller female occupants.

For many years, Mercedes has used fifth-percentile female dummies in the front seats during crash tests to design protection systems for a wide range of drivers.

"Safety is part of Mercedes-Benz's DNA and one of our core commitments to all road users. To us, protecting human lives is not a question of the drive system. The recent crash test involving two fully electric vehicles demonstrates this. It proves that all our vehicles have an equally high level of safety, no matter what technology drives them," said Markus Schafer, Chief Technology Officer at Mercedes-Benz.

"Ourgoal by 2050 is zero accidentsinvolving a Mercedes-Benz vehicle."