The claim
A Tesla takes off and lies on the roof with a burning battery. The pictures speak for themselves, right?
Our conclusion
Yes, there is a Tesla burning here. However, with the battery removed and using pyrotechnics. The insurance company that carried out the crash tests did not initially adequately point this out. Many media sites had adopted the original framing and not all of them have yet corrected their online texts.
Grist for the mill of those who speak out against the energy transition and e-mobility: A Swiss insurance company burns down a Tesla during a crash test. The images fit seamlessly with others that show electric cars with burning batteries. The difference? Only the pyrotechnics burn here. And the simulated crash would not have resulted in a burning battery. AXA has done the mobility transition a disservice.
What is the story behind the picture?
the Swiss AXA insurance company noticed “that drivers of electric cars cause 50 percent more collisions with damage to their own vehicles than those of conventional combustion engines.” AXA attributes this increase in self-inflicted accidents to the so-called overtapping effect. Electric cars have their greatest torque when starting off , whereas combustion engines have their maximum torque in the middle speed range. That's why even small cars can achieve accelerations that are otherwise only known from sports cars.
The high torque becomes a problem when it happens unexpectedly when starting off, immediately after tapping the power pedal: “This can lead to an unwanted, jerky acceleration that the driver can no longer control,” explains Michael Pfäffli, Head of accident research AXA Switzerland. A situation that the insurance company recreated in a crash test on August 25, 2022.
According to AXA, manufacturers of electric vehicles usually only take typical accident scenarios into account in their safety considerations: crashes from the front and the side. But the weak point with electric vehicles lies elsewhere. However, accidents in which the underbody and battery of the vehicle are damaged have received little attention so far. In rare cases, this can lead to a short circuit or individual battery cells burning out.
During the crash test in August 2022, the Tesla used jumped over a small traffic island, apparently suffered severe damage to the underbody, rolled over and finally landed on the roof. However, the fire that then breaks out was staged for the approximately 500 spectators. It's not the battery that burns out, but pyrotechnics. AXA didn't want to risk the safety of onlookers.
The images of the burning Tesla are once again becoming a symbol of the supposed danger of electric vehicles - as they did in 2013 . Meanwhile, AXA apologizes for the misleading images. The aim of this “simulation of an accident scenario” was actually to point out the “statistical findings” and dangers “that can arise in accidents involving battery-operated cars.” However, the shot backfired badly.
In retrospect, the test, which was intended to illustrate an assumed risk scenario, should have been set up differently. Although we explicitly stated in the media release that, according to statistics from AXA Switzerland, electric cars do not burn more often than combustion engines, we have to admit that the published images without this context give a different impression.
We very much regret the misunderstandings that have arisen and apologize for them. We will analyze the crash tests again in detail in 2022, draw our lessons from them and use them for our future commitment to greater safety in road traffic.
Statement from AXA dated September 1, 2022
Not only were there no battery cells used in the test car, the damage to the underbody would very likely not have led to a battery fire - as the pictures suggest. The test carried out does not confirm the hypothesis that is the basis of this crash test setup. AXA did not highlight these important details in the original media release.
Incidentally, an accident with an electric car is no more dangerous than one with a combustion engine. Another crash test from AXA shows this very well. Two Golf models - one with a combustion engine and one with an electric drive - collided head-on at 50 km/h. The driving cabin of both vehicles remained largely intact, so the occupants should be well protected by belts, neck supports and airbags. This also applies if the vehicle catches fire. However, a very rare battery fire is a challenge for the emergency services extinguishing it.
AXA Insurance's accident research recommends the following when dealing with electric vehicles:
Drivers of electric cars should be aware of unintentionally rapid acceleration (the so-called overtapping effect). How to deal with this immediate force must be learned. If possible, drivers should manually reduce the amount of acceleration behind the wheel, especially in the initial period after purchase, to achieve greater resistance when tapping the power pedal.
Drivers of electric cars should pay particular attention to the underbody. For example, road islands, stones or roundabouts should be driven particularly carefully to prevent damage to the underbody.
Drivers of heavy vehicles tend to have a higher level of intrinsic safety. This is precisely why they should be aware of their responsibility towards other road users: lighter vehicles are at a disadvantage in the event of a crash.
Press release from August 25, 2022
Conclusion
A Tesla is burning in the pictures shared. However, with the battery removed and using pyrotechnics. The damage to the underbody would most likely not have been enough to set the battery on fire. The insurance company that carried out the crash test now regrets the misleading communication. Electric vehicles do not burn more often than those with combustion engines - both of which happen very rarely.
Sources:
https://www.axa.de/presse/axa-crashtests-2022
https://www.axa.ch/de/ueber-axa/medien/medienmitteiligen/aktuelle-medienmitteiligen/20220829-crashtests-2022-statement -brand-tesla.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRc0Hw2S80A (video with the burning AXA Tesla)
https://e-auto-journal.de/elektromotor-vs-verbrennungsmotor/
https: //www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/tesla-aktieneinbruch-nach-brenner-batterie-a-926019.html
By the way: VW will not be discontinuing cars with combustion engines in 2024!
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