As technology continues to grow, people and businesses worldwide must evolve and adapt to any changes it may bring. Electric vehicles are included in this statement, as it is reckoned that in 20 years, most vehicles on the road will be fully electric or offer hybrid models. Nobody should ever get behind a vehicle they aren't confident is safe to drive. This dawns the question: Are electric vehicles safer than petrol and diesel-powered vehicles? Read on to find out.

Electric Vehicle Safety Ratings

Conventional engine vehicles have some fantastic safety measures that have been put in place to ensure the driver is secure. However, electric vehicles are also subject to meticulous testing to ensure they're safe & roadworthy. Generally, a vehicle will be placed into one of six categories, depending on how it performed across a series of assessments:

• 5 Stars – This is for cars which perform excellently in crash protection and include preventative anti-crash technology

• 4 Stars – Good performance in crash protection, and may include preventative technology

• 3 Stars – Average levels of protection, probably lacking in preventative anti-crash technology

• 2 Stars – Basic crash protection with limited anti-crash technology

• 1 Star – Marginal crash protection, with little or no anti-crash technology.

Electric Vehicle Safety Tests

Several tests determine which rating bracket a car will fall under.

Frontal crash test. This focuses on durability in a head-on collision. This test replicates the force and resistance when crashing with an approaching vehicle and/or stationary object. The test dummies are then assessed for the head, back, chest and leg injuries.

Side barrier crash test. This test focuses on the dangers of side-on collisions. It's carried out by having a 3,000lb vehicle crashing at 38.5mph into a standing vehicle. Test dummies are then checked for damage to the head, chest, abdomen, and pelvis.

Side pole crash test. Tests of this nature are used to check if a collision with a telephone pole on the vehicle's driver's side will result in harm. The vehicle is angled at 75 degrees, then dragged at 20mph into a 25cm diameter pole. Injuries to the head, chest, spine, lower abdomen, and pelvis are checked on test dummies.

Rollover resistance test. If you're driving at speed and must make a sudden or unexpected sharp turn, your car should be weighted so as not to flip over. In this test, the vehicle usually moves around 55mph during the manoeuvre.

How to Charge Your Electric Vehicle Safely

Many individuals transitioning to electric vehicles are sometimes scared about how safe it is to increase electricity within their homes or business. Charging an electric vehicle is much easier to wrap your head around than you might think. In principle, there are three different types of charging points:

Rapid charge – These points often get a vehicle to 80% capacity in under an hour.

Fast charge – These tend to take (on average) 2 hours for a full charge

Slow charge – Slow charges can take up to 9 hours (and should be done overnight)

As you can probably guess, the faster the charge, the more likely your electric bill will be more expensive.

Charging at Home

If you own an EV, having a charging point at home makes sense. Although you may be worried about electricity expenses, having this installed in your home gives you the freedom to charge at your own pace while also benefiting from several safety features, such as warranties which protect you financially if your charging point breaks and compliance with the highest levels of international charging standards to name a couple.

Companies from all over the world are facing this challenge. Therefore, businesses are offering home charging solutions which can save up to 50% compared to public charging, so it makes sense to charge at home.

Charging Your Vehicle on The Road

Another question that customers have regarding electric vehicles is how accessible charging points are. The answer, in short, is that there are lots, with more and more becoming available as time goes on. Our MaxxEV public charge points give you access to thousands of charge points across the UK. They include:

• Specialist cards

• Contactless payments

Contact Fleetmaxx to find out more Here.