Crash test (using Rivian R1T) shows electric vehicles may overpower safety barriers

[Ventura]

I'm in agreement with those who find the test a bit silly due to the perpendicular strike at high speed from a heavy vehicle. I've seen a lot of guard rails that a truck has broken through. Seems like you could do the test in an old F250 or F350 and save a ton of $$.
I also agree that the only really useful takeaway here is that the cab of the R1T seems very safe for the occupants. Of course we should all drive cautiously in areas that have guard rails because no one should ever hit them like that.

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[pricedm]

Waste of a perfectly good Rivian. Outcome obvious. "4 ton"...huh?

 

[Zoidz]

I'm calling this out as some anti-EV hype. I could not find any perpendicular head on comparisons, but I did find a angle crash video of a 1997 Silverado at 60 mph. Huh, How 'bout that? - the Silverado also blew through and over the guard rail. 1:10 in the video.

Edit: Link to Video

 

[mikysee]

I'm just glad the battery didn't explode. That is a big hit.

 

[Hillbilly]

And a Raptor would do what to that barrier. What about a loaded Denali? I mean yes EVs are heavier but you picked one of the larger vehicles on the road to test this. Maybe next time use a I4 and see what happens.

My Duramax would destroy it.

 

[SRO]

Aren't those guardrails really just designed for glancing blows? I'm pretty sure a civic hitting that at 60 head on is going to go through, just with a far less healthy driver.

You’re exactly right. That was an extreme angle. Something fishy here. I’ve seen hundreds of tests and never at such an extreme angle like that. Also there are a lot heavier vehicles than the Rivian. Guardrails and concrete barrier rails are designed to retain and redirect vehicles traveling parallel to the barriers. Most hits are like 10 to 15 degrees or less. A hit at that angle can’t be economically protected by barriers. The odds of that type of hit are a million to one. Since the testing company sounds legit and the cost of the test isn’t cheap, there must be another engineering purpose for this test.

 

[R1Thor]

Badass? lol, I don't know about you, but I'd rather have guard rails and safety barriers keep me from going over a ledge/cliff, so nothing badass about it to me.

This might be a crazy idea.. but.. hear me out.

Don't try driving off of cliffs or over barriers in the first place???

I think the #1 thing you can do to not drive over a cliff is to be a good driver
- Don't drink and drive
- Get plenty of rest and be hydrated and alert
- Stay the heck off of your phone
- Pay attention to the road
- Both hands on the wheel
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Don't be dumb

Just my .02

 

[SRO]

I'm calling this out as some anti-EV hype. I could not find any perpendicular head on comparisons, but I did find a angle crash video of a 1997 Silverado at 60 mph. Huh, How 'bout that? - the Silverado also blew through and over the guard rail. 1:10 in the video.

Edit: Link to Video

That would be a successful test. The vehicle remained upright and didn’t go through and into a hazard such as a vertical cliff or oncoming traffic. The vehicle is totaled but lives could be saved.

 

[Bradyb23]

Uh, not sure what is "badass" 'bout that vid. Poor truck.

I thought the same thing: "Poor truck!"

 

[White Shadow]

This might be a crazy idea.. but.. hear me out.

Don't try driving off of cliffs or over barriers in the first place???

I think the #1 thing you can do to not drive over a cliff is to be a good driver
- Don't drink and drive
- Get plenty of rest and be hydrated and alert
- Stay the heck off of your phone
- Pay attention to the road
- Both hands on the wheel
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Don't be dumb

Just my .02

Not crazy at all....so far in my 38 years of driving, I've managed to not ever once hit a guard rail. But hey, shit happens sometimes, doesn't it? And if shit happens to me, I'm certainly hoping that a guardrail prevents me from driving into an embankment or off a cliff where I'll certainly end up dead. I mean, after all....that's the whole point of a guardrail in the first place.

Last summer I was driving on I95 in New York and witnessed a car suddenly leave it's lane (I think the driver was tired or maybe fell asleep at the wheel) and he hit the back passenger side of a vehicle in the left lane ahead of him, causing that car to spin out of control and right into a guardrail. Thankfully, the guardrail stopped the car from going off the cliff. So yeah, sometimes you can't avoid an accident no matter how good you are at driving.

 

[R1Thor]

Not crazy at all....so far in my 38 years of driving, I've managed to not ever once hit a guard rail. But hey, shit happens sometimes, doesn't it? And if shit happens to me, I'm certainly hoping that a guardrail prevents me from driving into an embankment or off a cliff where I'll certainly end up dead. I mean, after all....that's the whole point of a guardrail in the first place.

Last summer I was driving on I95 in New York and witnessed a car suddenly leave it's lane (I think the driver was tired or maybe fell asleep at the wheel) and he hit the back passenger side of a vehicle in the left lane ahead of him, causing that car to spin out of control and right into a guardrail. Thankfully, the guardrail stopped the car from going off the cliff. So yeah, sometimes you can't avoid an accident no matter how good you are at driving.

I don't disagree that having extra safety barriers are helpful and can prevent catastrophe.

However, we shouldn't 'need' them.

And what you saw in this video is an extreme case. I'm betting they completely bypassed any/all safety sensors (try driving AT something in your Rivian. You know what: don't. But believe me, the truck doesn't *want* you to hit something. If you ever get 'too close' you'll see what I mean. I've had this thing brake on me on several instances).

The only way this exact situation is playing out is if someone is doing something really dumb, honestly. You're not going to re-orient your vehicle 90 degrees to a barrier and smash the go pedal all the way down after disabling all of the safety features of your truck.

 

[iansriv]

I was wondering what that guy that was looking for a used R1T for $42k did with it.

 

[White Shadow]

I'm calling this out as some anti-EV hype. I could not find any perpendicular head on comparisons, but I did find a angle crash video of a 1997 Silverado at 60 mph. Huh, How 'bout that? - the Silverado also blew through and over the guard rail. 1:10 in the video.

Edit: Link to Video

To be accurate (and fair) the Chevy truck went over the guardrail more than blowing through it. And even more questionable is the fact they they hit the guardrail where it was already clearly damaged and bowed out. It would have made much more sense to try the same impact on a straight, undamaged section of guardrail to see what would have happened. But it was an interesting video.

 

[jjswan33]

Nice clip. Though they say it’s a 4 ton pickup. Must have gained weight

Waste of a perfectly good Rivian. Outcome obvious. "4 ton"...huh?

A lot of our trucks are exceeding 3.5 tons out of the factory add a couple American passengers then there you go. So they can’t say 3 tons and 3.5 tons would be too complicated for the average reader….

On the other hand for some reason my truck is obese but Ive been running it all over the country…. I guess I’m feeding it too many electrons

 

[White Shadow]

I don't disagree that having extra safety barriers are helpful and can prevent catastrophe.

However, we shouldn't 'need' them.

And what you saw in this video is an extreme case. I'm betting they completely bypassed any/all safety sensors (try driving AT something in your Rivian. You know what: don't. But believe me, the truck doesn't *want* you to hit something. If you ever get 'too close' you'll see what I mean. I've had this thing brake on me on several instances).

The only way this exact situation is playing out is if someone is doing something really dumb, honestly. You're not going to re-orient your vehicle 90 degrees to a barrier and smash the go pedal all the way down after disabling all of the safety features of your truck.

We shouldn't need them until we do. My point is that anything can happen on the road and guardrails are intended to help save lives.

Hitting a guardrail head on at speed isn't very likely to happen, but hitting one at a 45 degree angle is certainly something that's not uncommon.

But let's be honest here....the average weight of motor vehicles in general has been rising for decades. This isn't just a thing against EVs...all cars have been getting heavier over time. And with EVs, the average is just going to keep rising. So maybe guardrails need to be built more heavy duty with that in mind.

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