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Another Tesla Recall: Goodbye Tesla Boombox?
The word “recall” sure is thrown around loosely these days. By now, you likely know that Tesla fixes the vast majority of recalls with an over-the-air software update. In the tenth recall in just four months, Tesla is addressing a pedestrian safety concern brought up by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
During the 2020 holiday season, Tesla sent a gift of sorts to all of their customers. The cars received an update that turned the external speakers into a boombox. The Tesla Boombox can play a number of customizable sounds (music, jokes, fart noises…) out of the same speakers that are meant to alert pedestrians of the approaching, silent electric car. It’s the customizable feature that seems to be at the center of this recall. Under certain circumstances, the Boombox can disrupt the federally-mandated pedestrian warning risk sounds.
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No Need For a Service Center Visit
In typical Tesla fashion, the pioneering automaker will push an over-the-air update to all of the affected cars. Tesla cars just need a WiFi connection to receive these frequent updates. Some OTA updates even increase performance or battery life.
Check out Tesla’s official response to the NHTSA investigation here. It’s interesting to observe the automaker interacting with the federal agency that is always on their case. Here’s how simple the Tesla Boombox recall remedy is:
“Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that will disable the Boombox functionality when the vehicle is in Drive, Neutral and Reverse modes, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 5, 2022.”
Tesla Boombox will only work in Park mode it seems. Perhaps that was common sense all along? Tesla’s engineers typically work quickly to send such urgent recall fixes over-the-air. While the notice says that owners will receive notices by mail in April, it’s very likely that the remedy will update cars much sooner.
The Tesla Advantage
Lots of people aren’t fans of Tesla for one reason or another. However the EV pioneer does have an undeniable advantage when it comes to updating their vehicles. With well over 2 million Tesla vehicles on the road today, OTA updates are a key selling point for car buyers in the electric vehicle market. Other automakers are rushing to implement the capability in their future models, as seen by recent announcements from GM, Ford and literally every EV startup today.
We recently took a deep dive into over-the-air updates, and shared automaker plans for adding the feature to their lineups. Learn more about OTA update capabilities.
Let us know what you think in the comments. Does the Tesla Boombox recall make sense? Would you buy a Tesla? Does OTA update capability factor into your decision?
Electric Vehicle Sales Double in 2021. Can Chargers Keep Up?
Electric vehicles now make up 9% of the global market, and 4.5% of American auto sales. Estimates vary, but many analysts expect electric vehicle sales to reach 40% market share in 2030. Will their crystal ball prove correct? It’s now looking possible. New data from the International Energy Agency beat previous forecasts by 26%. In 2020, Loren McDonald of EVAdoption predicted that electric vehicle sales would make up 3.55% of the US market in 2021. With the official tally now coming in a full percentage point higher, the electric momentum is accelerating. When the chip shortage finally ends, the production of EVs will likely be prioritized by automakers. Considering the massive half-trillion dollar investments OEMs have committed to electrifying their lineups, I’m sure they’re happy to see that there’s a growing market for their future products.
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Tesla Supercharger Installations Can’t Keep Up With Incredible Demand
Tesla’s pioneering Supercharger network of DC fast chargers remains the industry standard for electric vehicle charging. With 3,476 locations, hassle-free plug-and-charge and consistent reliability, only Electrify America has come remotely close to what Tesla offers. For the past decade, Superchargers have been known for convenience and accessibility, but a few pending developments could change that. Here’s what we’re watching:
Sales Continue to Outpace Charger Installations
Tesla continues to dominate electric vehicle sales in America and abroad. In 2021, Tesla year-over-year sales grew 87% to 936,172 vehicles globally. In the United States, Cox Automotive estimates that Tesla delivered 352,472 vehicles to customers. Tesla’s 2021 sales were enough to (probably) unseat BMW as luxury sales leader in the US.
In 2021, Tesla installed 8,221 new Superchargers at 912 stations around the world. This represents 35% growth in just one year, a huge accomplishment for the EV leader. However, will it be enough? Sales have been outpacing Supercharger growth for years now. The vast majority of charging stations never see a crowd, but that could change soon as Tesla’s zero-hassle sales model and superior technology have drawn more buyers to the brand.
Tesla Opens Up Some Chargers to Non-Tesla EVs
Tesla CEO Elon Musk confused Tesla owners and thrilled non-Tesla owners when he shared the company’s intentions to open up some Superchargers to non-Tesla cars. In early 2022, several Supercharger locations in France, Norway and the Netherlands are open to all. If open access spreads to North America, Superchargers will see a flood of traffic as Ford Mustang Mach-E’s, Volkswagen ID.4’s, Hyundai IONIQ 5’s and dozens of other models gain access to America’s largest fast charging network.
Electrify America Races to Catch Up
Something positive came out of Volkswagen’s dieselgate debacle. As part of a 2016 settlement with the United States Environmental protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, VW was ordered to spend $2 billion on something that would clean up the air. The result was the birth of Electrify America.
After installing their first chargers in 2018, Electrify America now has 3,500 charging stations at 800 locations around the US. The big difference between Electrify America and Tesla Superchargers is accessibility. Any electric vehicle can pull up to an EA station to charge. Only Tesla models are allowed to charge at Superchargers, except for select Superchargers in Europe that are open to all.
Electrify America has its faults though. Drivers often encounter out-of-order chargers, and most vehicles are not yet compatible with the convenient plug-and-charge capability that you’ll find at Tesla Superchargers. Reports indicate that reliability is improving at Electrify America, and several automakers say their new EVs will have seamless plug-and-charge capability.
What Does the Future Hold?
Tesla’s record growth is great news for the automaker, but the picture is more complicated for Tesla owners. Tesla Superchargers in California and East Coast hotspots already fill up during peak travel. You could argue that gas stations do too, but waiting in line to plug in and then wait another 20 minutes to charge is not the same thing.
Fortunately, charging is about to get a lot easier in America. Public and private partnerships are currently designing a National Charging Network that will bring charging to remote locations and more American highways. The Supercharger network will continue to grow, as evidenced by the hundreds of ‘coming soon’ locations just added to the Tesla Supercharger map.
Some gas stations are getting into the charging game. Why don’t more add DC fast chargers to their parking lots? DC fast charger installation is expensive. We’re talking over $100,000 in most cases. Public-private partnerships appear set on helping businesses overcome the prohibitive costs of installing chargers. That would certainly benefit a rapidly electrifying nation of drivers.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Better yet, connect with auto experts and fellow car enthusiasts at caredge.kinsta.cloud/community, where we work for YOU.
Tesla Recalls 817,000 Vehicles, Yet Retains a Major Advantage
As the South Korea Automobile and Research Testing Institute was running new Tesla models through routine tests, engineers noticed a problem. Under certain conditions, the chime for not wearing a seatbelt would not activate. Specifically, if the chime was interrupted during the previous driving cycle, the chime would not sound if the seatbelt was not buckled during the next vehicle start. Tesla says the seatbelt chime still functions properly over 14 mph. In typical Tesla fashion, this Tesla recall has an easy fix for drivers.
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Automotive News reports that the recall affects 817,000 Teslas, including some 2021-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. Considering that only 24,964 of the 936,172 vehicles Tesla sold in 2021 were Models S or X, the vast majority of the recalled vehicles are Model 3 and Model Y.
Not a Big Deal?
A recall affecting nearly one million vehicles would cripple most automakers. Tesla is shrugging it off with an over-the-air software fix. With the launch of the Model S back in 2012, Tesla was the first automaker to design and produce vehicles with full OTA update capabilities. Tesla doesn’t just update infotainment remotely like the competitors are just now getting around to. They regularly update powertrain dynamics, battery performance and just about everything except the rubber on the wheels.
For this ‘massive’ recall, there will likely not be a single trip to a Tesla service center. Tesla owners will receive a notification about a needed software update, and with Wi-Fi connectivity, the car will fix itself. These really are driving computers that can go 0-60 in two seconds.
GM, Ford, Volkswagen and just about everyone else in the industry are now equipping new models with over-the-air update capabilities. However, it will be a few years before these automakers are able to send OTA updates to customers that go beyond infotainment and navigation. For years, legacy talking heads like Bob Lutz dismissed Tesla’s staying power. Now, it seems they’re frantically racing to catch up.
Is Tesla too far ahead of the rest? Will other automakers succeed at bringing OTA capabilities to their lineup? How does the consumer factor into all of this? Let us know in the comments below, and see what others have to say at caredge.kinsta.cloud/community.
What Is Electrify America? The Charging Station For All
Some may think of electric vehicles as a concept of the future, but over 2 million EVs are already on American roads. By 2030, that figure may exceed 5 million. Where will all of these EVs juice up on road trips? Say hello to the gas station of the future. Charging stations are growing as more automakers commit to electrification.
Among the key players in EV charging is Electrify America. With roots in the 2015 dieselgate debacle, Electrify America is out to show the masses that electric cars are accessible and convenient. Maybe you’ve even seen their glowing green stations in your local Walmart parking lot. Who knows, you might find yourself at an Electrify America station sooner than you think.
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Let’s cover the basics of Electrify America:
- How much does Electrify America cost?
- What is Electrify America’s pricing?
- Where are Electrify America charging stations?
- And so much more!
Let’s dive in.
What Is Electrify America?
Electrify America is the rebranded name for the initiative that Volkswagen created and funded as part of its 2016 settlement with the United States Environmental protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board. VW was caught red-handed cheating on emissions tests for millions of diesel cars sold in the US. Remember when everyone had to sell back their cool Golf TDI? VW hit rock bottom in 2015. As part of the $2 billion punishment, Volkswagen is prohibited from branding the charging network as a VW enterprise.
So here we have it, Electrify America! Storied past aside, EA is now a large and rapidly growing player in the world of electric vehicles. Despite initial skepticism, EA showed it was serious by following through on their initial goal of adding 2,000 DC fast chargers within a few years. An average of four EA stations were opened every week since the official debut of Electrify America in May of 2018. Now, EA is embarking on the next stage of growth.
Who Can Charge at Electrify America Stations?
Good news! Any electric vehicle model can plug in at Electrify America charging stations. Even Teslas can charge here, despite having their own exclusive Supercharger network. Tesla may have a walled garden for its customers, but EA is open to all. EA stations include several CCS plug types, which work with nearly all EV models. The stations also have a CHAdeMO plug, which only the Nissan Leaf uses as of 2022.
Plug-and-charge is a convenience feature popularized by Tesla, but now spreading among automakers. Considering Electrify America’s Volkswagen roots, you’d think plug-and-charge would be a given for VW electric cars. Not so, at least not yet. However, it looks like automakers are at fault here, not EA. The 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E already offers plug-and-charge, saving time and hassles for owners. GM says it will soon, but not by the time Cadillac Lyriq deliveries begin this year.
Charging Speeds
Electrify America charging stations are installed with future-proofing in mind. The vast majority of stations are capable of supplying the latest EVs with up to 350 kW charge speeds. In 2022, only a few EVs are capable of such rapid charging. The Hyundai IONIQ 5, Lucid Air and Porsche Taycan are a few examples. If your EV only accepts slower charging speeds, Electrify America certainly has the power you need to juice up.
How Much Does Charging At Electrify America Cost?
Some lucky EV drivers will have some amount of free charging at Electrify America. The Volkswagen ID.4, Hyundai IONIQ 5, Polestar 2 and even the Lucid Air all come with two or three years of complimentary charging at EA.
Electrify America pricing is determined by the following price tiers. Customers can either pay $0.43 per kilowatt-hour of electricity, or become a Pass+ member for just $4/month and charge up at $0.31 per kWh. For the Ford Mustang Mach-E with the standard battery, a full charge will cost about $21.00 as a Pass+ member, but $30.00 as a guest.
Having such an affordable membership plan is an interesting approach. It almost seems like Electrify America is aiming to become a subscription that everyone with an EV will buy into for a sense of range security, even if they rarely use the network. Learn more about Electrify America pricing and how much it costs to charge an electric vehicle at home or on the road here.
Where Are Electrify America Stations Located?
After an extremely fast build-out, EA now has chargers in 47 states. Only North Dakota, Wyoming and West Virginia have yet to receive EA chargers. Some states have many chargers. Metro areas like Washington DC, Atlanta, New York City, and of course all of California have a high density of EA charging stations.
A large number of EA stations are located in Walmart parking lots. Others are at Target stores, shopping malls, gas stations, and other frequented stops. With the new federal push for a national EV charging network, highway rest areas may soon get their own charging stations.
As of early 2022, Electrify America has 710 charging stations active in the US. Over 100 more are on the way soon. Three-quarters of existing charging ports are of the CCS type. The remainder are CHAdeMO-type plugs, almost exclusively for the Nissan Leaf. The rest of the EV world has moved on from CHAdeMO.
Here are all of the Electrify America charging locations as of early 2022. Future stations are in gray.
Source: Electrify America
The 2025 Boost Plan: 1,800 Stations and 10,000 Chargers By 2025
Electrify America’s original goal was to have about 800 charging stations and approximately 3,500 individual chargers in the U.S. by the end of 2021. As you can see above, they clearly exceeded that ambitious goal. Now, EA is looking ahead to their 2025 Boost Plan. The new plan calls for increasing the total number of charging stations to more than 1,700 and 9,500 individual chargers by the end of 2025. Soon, all 50 states will be home to EA charging stations. For me in West Virginia, that can’t come soon enough. It’s a charging desert out here in the hills.
Tesla Superchargers
With so much competition arriving in the electric vehicle segment, buyers have far more options than they did just a few years prior. Back in 2018, it was Tesla, the Chevy Bolt and the Nissan Leaf that were selling in big numbers. Now look at the list of every EV on sale in 2022. Consumers have options! And by the time Electrify America’s 2025 Boost Plan is carried out, EV sales are expected to make up at least 12% of total vehicle sales.
Still, Tesla continues to lead electric sales by a large margin. Tesla drivers can charge at Electrify America stations if they bring their own plug adapter. Unfortunately, only Tesla cars can plug in at the sprawling Tesla Supercharger network. Tesla’s proprietary network of exclusive chargers just reached a major milestone. As of late 2021, there are 30,000 charging stalls at over 5,000 locations worldwide. One-sixth of those charging stations were built in the latter half of 2021 alone. In the US, there are nearly 1,000 Supercharger locations, a figure that is rapidly growing.
Tesla also has a level 2 Destination Network at tourist destinations, hotels, restaurants and other destinations. Soon, there will even be a Megacharger Network to support the coming Tesla Semi. Rumors abound that Tesla will open up the Supercharger network to non-Tesla cars, as they have already tried in select European countries. Until that officially happens in the US, Superchargers remain off limits to Ford, GM, Hyundai and every other automaker’s EVs.
Tesla Superchargers are not free. In fact, charging will cost $0.28 per kilowatt-hour of electricity in most markets. Learn more about how much it costs to charge an electric vehicle in our recent report.
How Does Electrify America Compare to Tesla or a Gas Station?
Clearly, electricity is cheaper than gasoline, no matter where you plug in:
| Cost of Charging to 100% at a Tesla Supercharger | Cost of Charging to 100% at Electrify America as a Member | Cost of Charging to 100% at Electrify America as a Guest | Cost of Filling up an 18 Gallon Tank of Gas at $3.25/Gallon |
| $22.96 | $25.42 | $35.26 | $58.50 |
CarEdge’s Take
The automotive industry is commiting to EVs. With nearly half a trillion dollars committed to EV development this decade, is this a ‘too big to fail’ moment? However, what good are EVs if there’s nowhere to charge them? Actually, over 80% of electric vehicle charging happens at home. Still, road trips would be dead if automakers electrify without having public fast chargers as widespread as today’s gas stations.
Aside from the Tesla Supercharger network, Electrify America is the best shot we have at rapidly building out a DC fast charging network across America. Automakers, utilities and even the federal government are currently figuring out how to grow charging infrastructure in America. The recent National EV Charging Summit highlighted those efforts, and also the immense challenges ahead. Electrify America’s 2025 Boost Plan offers a glimpse of the electric future to come along American highways.
What do you think? Will Electrify America and the growing Tesla Supercharger network be enough for EVs to comfortably reach the forecasted 30-40% market share in 2030?
Electric Car Safety: Here’s What the Data Reveals
Your opinion of electric vehicles likely depends on which side of the news you’ve seen. If you know anything about the Chevy Bolt hazard, you might even scurry to the other side of the street when you encounter one. But does the data support EV skepticism, or is the big picture something different altogether? Do we even have enough data to draw firm conclusions? It’s important to get down to the facts, and that’s our goal today. Here’s what crash test ratings, vehicle fire statistics and real-world data can tell us about electric car safety in 2022.
EV Crash Test Ratings
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conduct standardized crash testing for vehicles that possess the potential to become popular and sell in big numbers. If it’s popular, they’re going to crash it and collect data. These two crash testing programs don’t treat electric vehicles any differently than they would a traditional combustion-powered vehicle.
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As a refresher, here are the crash tests conducted by the NHTSA and IIHS:
- Frontal Crash Test
- Side Pole Crash Test
- Side Barrier Crash Test
- Rollover Resistance Test
The following additional tests are conducted by the IIHS:
- Moderate-Overlap Front
- Driver’s-Side Small-Overlap Front
- Passenger-Side Small-Overlap Front
- Side Impact
- Roof Strength
- Head Restraints
How do electric vehicles perform in these crash tests? Take a look at the limited data we have.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) does not provide overall ratings. They instead provide dozens of ratings for many different safety metrics. You can check out their ratings here.
Takeaways From Crash Test Results
This data from the NHTSA and IIHS shows that while data is limited (but growing), all EVs tested so far have received excellent solid ratings. In fact, all eight electric models tested by the NHTSA in 2021-2022 earned five-star ratings. Considering that over 70% of EVs sold in the US are Tesla models, these ratings do represent the vast majority of EVs on American roads today. Still, far more testing is needed with so many electric models coming in 2022.
The IIHS sees the trends in their own data: EVs are actually making passenger vehicles safer than ever before. In a 2021 IIHS report on electric vehicle safety, they shared what they’ve learned so far.
“Evidence is growing that electric vehicles are at least as safe as conventional ones, with two more vehicles that run exclusively on battery power earning safety awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In addition, an updated analysis of insurance data shows injury claims are substantially less frequent for such vehicles.”
Those are powerful words from an insurance-minded crash-tester. We definitely need more electric car safety testing. EV sales made up 6.5% of American auto sales in 2021, and that figure is expected to reach or exceed 40% by 2030. One useful safety test would be comparing how long it takes to extinguish a fire for each EV model. I’d love to see that testing implemented for the safety and preparedness of our first responders.
Are EV Batteries Safe?
Whether you prefer a vehicle that requires gasoline, diesel or battery packs, all vehicles are built to haul around what are essentially concentrated energy sources. That’s how the vehicle converts potential energy in the form of combustible carbon or electrons into kinetic energy to get you from A to B. The latest and greatest battery chemistries pack more power than ever before into battery cells, but they also claim to be safer. However, any concentrated energy source is volatile under certain conditions. That’s why we don’t light matches at the gas pump. What about EV batteries? Are they a fire hazard worthy of extraordinary caution?
The CarEdge team recently dug deep into the latest EV battery fires that have made the news, and our findings certainly shed light on the facts. Here’s a summary of what the data and engineering investigations featured in our EV battery fire report reveal.
Firefighting and DOT Fire Stats
Data compiled by the National Fire protection Association (NFPA) and the US Department of Transportation shows that among all vehicle types, there’s an average of one vehicle fire per 19 million miles driven. Both the NFPA and the Center for Auto Safety say there is not yet a centralized database for electric vehicle fire statistics. In an effort to address the lack of information surrounding EV battery fires, Tesla decided to begin releasing statistics in their annual impact reports.
Data From Tesla
Tesla’s 2020 Impact Report says that from 2012-2020, there’s been one Tesla fire per 205 million miles traveled. The fact that Tesla models made up 79% of American EV sales in 2020 highlights the relevance of their data. Unfortunately, other automakers haven’t released comparable data (we’re looking at you GM!). We’re hopeful that will change soon.
Source: Tesla
This comparison doesn’t hide the fact that one other EV model has had major problems. The ongoing Chevrolet Bolt recall is costing GM and battery supplier LG a few billion dollars to resolve. There have also been sporadic incidents with other EVs. The Hyundai Kona briefly made headlines with multiple fires, but a fix was quickly implemented. It seems like every Tesla fire makes it into the news, even though there are not many.
Despite the statistics showing just how rare and isolated the events are, EV fires are real, and every one is worthy of proper investigation. The same goes for any vehicle fire.
Electric Vehicle Fire Hazards: First Responders
Although Tesla’s data suggests that EVs are less prone to car fires than combustion vehicles, there are major safety concerns for the firefighters who extinguish the flames when an EV fire does occur. Firefighters need special training to learn how to safely approach EV-related incidents, but only two-thirds of departments have had the opportunity due to funding constraints. Automakers need to come forward and support our first responders with training and resources to prepare for the electrification of the auto industry.
EV fires require A LOT more water to extinguish. Tesla’s First Responders Guide recommends 3,000 to 8,000 gallons of water on hand to put out a Tesla fire. Some fires have needed 30,000 gallons of water to extinguish. Basically, firefighters have to do whatever it takes to cool down the battery, and that’s really hard to do with so much energy densely packed into the pack. Once the fire appears fully extinguished, there’s a chance it could still flare up, even days later. Towing services and junkyards are advised to park damaged electric vehicles at least 50 feet from other vehicles in the yard. As EVs become more popular, that might not be feasible in just a few years.
EV Unintended Acceleration: What We Know
When cars launch full-speed ahead without warning, we have a major problem. Fortunately, that has not been proven to have occurred following dozens of investigations over the years. A number of serious accidents involving EVs have resulted in drivers claiming that the car accelerated on its own. Tesla vehicles have faced these accusations for years, but investigations have never found evidence of unintended acceleration. Plus, Tesla EVs are computers on wheels, and they maintain very detailed logs of all driver inputs. These logs are thoroughly inspected in every investigation.
The Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determined that reports of sudden unintended acceleration involving four different Tesla models were due to user error. In other words, the driver mistakenly smashed the accelerator pedal. With so much torque and instant feedback, that’s enough to launch a Tesla like a rocket. Depending on where that rocket is aimed, it could go launching right into harm’s way. The lesson here? Powerful EVs demand more attention than some drivers are used to. Electric car safety features can only go so far if drivers are careless or over confident.
Hyundai recently recalled 2,700 2017-2019 Ioniq electric vehicles (the generation prior to the all-new Hyundai IONIQ 5) to correct a rare but scary defect that may cause the Ioniq to accelerate after the driver releases the accelerator pedal when in ‘limp mode.’ With no accidents reported, it appears as though Hyundai got ahead of this issue before anything tragic happened. As far as we (and the US government) know, no EVs have accelerated on their own without driver input.
Tesla Autopilot Safety
This is another headline grabber for Tesla. Anytime there’s a crash involving a Tesla on autopilot, it’s sure to make the news. Tesla Autopilot certainly has its faults, notably ‘phantom braking’ and difficulties with poor visibility. However, Tesla keeps track of their accident data from all Tesla vehicles worldwide, and this is what they’ve found as of December 2021:
“In the 4th quarter, we recorded one crash for every 4.31 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology (Autosteer and active safety features). For drivers who were not using Autopilot technology (no Autosteer and active safety features), we recorded one crash for every 1.59 million miles driven. By comparison, NHTSA’s most recent data shows that in the United States there is an automobile crash every 484,000 miles.”
Although this is not independently verified, it’s intriguing data to say the least. Could Tesla Autopilot really be safer than human drivers? Considering that 15% of motor vehicle accidents in the US are attributed to driver distraction, it may not be all that surprising. More automakers are offering level 2 autonomous driving features. As Autopilot-like technology increases, electric car safety will be under the microscope. Learn more about Tesla’s annual safety report here.
CarEdge’s Take
Our goal at CarEdge is to provide you with factual information that’s useful for your decision-making process as you consider your next vehicle purchase. Why do we cover EVs so intently? Because industry insights show that major automakers are dead set on electrifying their entire lineups by 2035 at the latest. From Ford to GM and everyone in between, the story is the same. With hundreds of billions of dollars going towards EV development, it’s important to hold automakers accountable with such a nascent technology.
Over 2 million EVs are already on American roads and global EV sales totaled 4.5 million in 2021 alone. This is just the beginning. Sales of electric vehicles are expected to rise 75% to more than 8 million in 2022. Electric car safety is more important than ever. Are EVs safe? So far, it looks like electric vehicles are at least as safe as combustion vehicles. But when things go awry, EV fires are far more difficult to extinguish than what we’ve seen in the past, and that’s a concern worth addressing promptly at all costs. If you’re thinking about going electric for your next vehicle purchase, rest assured that EVs from Tesla, Ford, Volkswagen, Hyundai-Kia and others are ranked up there with the very best in the entire industry.
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