Are Electric Vehicles Less Safe Than Conventional Vehicles?

This project examines the existing record on the traffic safety of electric vehicles (EVs). Some have argued that EVs are larger and heavier, so they will lead to more crash fatalities and injuries. But they also contain new technology that may reduce safety risks. Further, different drivers may select into EVs than comparable conventional vehicles. This project explores all of these factors using large data sets and aims to disentangle these factors to provide a complete picture of EV safety. Preliminary results suggest that EVs may be more safe than conventional vehicles per registered vehicle and current work is underway to understand precisely why. The project team is looking for one or two undergraduate RAs to assist with data collection, especially relating to bringing into the analysis odometer reading data that will allow us to understand crash fatalities per mile driven. The RA will also help with creating tables and figures, and running regressions.