Research conducted by the University of Limerick (UL) suggests that motorists who operatre electric vehicles (EVs) are more prone to be involved in traffic incidents compared to those who drive petrol or diesel-fueled cars. The research team, from Lero, the Science Foundation Research Ireland Centre for Software and UL, scrutinised data from almost 15,000 business fleet vehicles, covering more than 100 million journeys, along with an insurance claim database. They identified a modest but noteworthy rise in the incidence of electric car accidents in comparison to their fossil fuel counterparts.
The study assessed data from on-board sensors and insurance claims, finding that despite demonstrating less reckless driving—shown by fewer instances of harsh braking, acceleration and cornering—than owners of petrol and diesel vehicles, EV and hybrid motorists still had a higher rate of accidents. Furthermore, the examination of data entailing 14,642 business fleet vehicles in the Netherlands and vehicle insurance claim databases, established that EVs were responsible for 4% more accidents.
Interestingly, Kevin McDonnell, a researcher at Lero and the lead author of the study, observed that EV and hybrid vehicles had lower average usage distances compared to petrol and diesel engine cars. McDonnell suggested that “this hints [petrol and diesel] engines should have a higher likelihood of an at-fault claim than alternate fuel vehicles. However, the claims data contradicts this hypothesis”.
The research didn’t specifically offer reasons why EV motorists appear to have a higher propensity to be involved in accidents. However, it did indicate that specific behaviours typically exhibited by EV drivers could be contributing to this trend. The nature of trips taken by EV drivers, shorter distances due to range anxiety and unreliable charging infrastructure, are a significant factor. Despite spending less time on the roads compared to petrol and diesel drivers, EVs are more frequently used in city environments, correlating with the higher accident rate.
An additional finding was that repair costs for EVs were nearly 7% higher than for conventional vehicles.
In contrasting terms, while cars powered by petrol and diesel travel further distances and more commonly traverse motorways that statistically have fewer accidents, Dr Barry Sheehan, an associate professor specialising in risk and finance at UL, stated that despite electric vehicle (EV) drivers having lower average mileage compared to their counterparts with internal combustion engines, their likelihood of having an insurance claim where they are at fault does not decrease due to their reduced exposure to the road. He emphasised the importance of this factor in discussions about transitioning to EVs as per governmental directives, which anticipate that Irish roads could see up to one million EVs in the coming years. The 4 per cent discrepancy in accident rates, Sheehan insists, is consequential and thus mustn’t be overlooked.