The silent danger of EVs has nothing to do with noise

Electric cars might be selling like hot cakes, but blind enthusiasm for EVs risks ushering in a silent danger that has nothing to do with the fact they make less noise than petrol and diesel vehicles. In fact, the absence of engine noise at very low speeds has been legislated against. Since July 2021, all new electric vehicles registered in the UK have had to include a sound generator.

The silent danger associated with EVs is their weight. Increased mass adversely affects handling and braking, but, more importantly, poses an increased threat in the event of a collision.

The heavier the car, the more damage it causes in the event of a crash

It's one of the reasons the current fashion for SUVs contributes to road danger, and it's a threat to safety that's about to become worse as large 4x4s go electric. The problem is set to be particularly acute in America where there's an appetite for supersized vehicles.

For example, the new GMC Hummer EV, weighs in at over 4 tons - equivalent to more than two Range Rover Evoque SUVs. In fact, it's so heavy that here in Europe you need a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) licence to drive one. You don't need a physics degree to understand how in the event of a collision with a four-ton car, the other vehicle acts like a crumple zone. The advent of a new breed of super-heavy battery powered SUV may well prompt drivers of smaller cars to buy bigger in order to offset this risk.

Bringing these leviathans to a stop isn't the problem you might think as regenerative braking systems can compensate for the additional weight. In fact, some of the brakes on EVs outperform their internal combustion engine counterparts. However, it's likely the braking performance of large electric SUVs will be more than offset by the danger associated with their rapid acceleration, heavy weight and poor driver visibility.

It doesn't have to be this way. The additional weight of batteries would be less of problem if car makers weren't continuing to churn out electrified SUVs.

While they're not currently considered a serious option by most drivers, it is possible to buy small, lightweight electric vehicles like the Citroen Ami. Limited in speed to 28mph and legal to drive on a moped licence, these diminutive EVs are ideally suited to the way most people a car most of the time – 25 per cent of car trips are under 1 mile, and 71% under 5 miles…and most of those with only one or two people onboard.

They make for cheap motoring too. The Citroen Ami costs £20 per month to own (based on £2,600 deposit) and new kid on the block Squad Mobility has a rival vehicle that recharges itself via built-in solar panels and will cost about the same.

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