Following its recent excellent performance in the European New Car Assessment Programme crash tests, Skoda has outlined some of the details that make an electric car like its Enyaq iV just as safe as a standard internal combustion engined vehicle, writes Brian Byrne.
The Enyaq received the highest score ever in the ENCAP test, and its well-protected high-voltage battery did not pose any increased risk, according to the results. Skoda says this has also been confirmed in independent studies by accident researchers and fire safety experts: battery electric vehicles have the same level of crash safety as models with conventional combustion engines.
The Enyaq's battery pack is installed in the underbody for crash safety and despite some social media commentary is very rare for an electric car to catch fire following an accident. Even a violent impact is not enough to trigger a battery fire. Only in the unlikely event of damage or deformation to the energy storage unit can the battery cells ignite. To reduce this risk, the battery pack in the Enyaq is installed in the underbody for crash safety.
Engineers also pay special attention to preventing the energy storage unit from being overloaded, with protective relays and extensive sensors which ensure that the risk of electrical or thermal overload is minimal. The drive battery’s temperature, state of charge and other parameters are constantly monitored. In addition, the high-voltage system is designed to be intrinsically safe; in the event of a defect or accident, the electrical components are disconnected from the battery within milliseconds, so that there is no voltage and no danger to the passengers.
