2024 Electric Vehicle Safety Ratings: Top Picks & Insights

Electric Vehicles: A Leap Towards Safer Roads in 2024

In the recent unveiling by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the year 2024, electric vehicles (EVs) have demonstrated commendable safety achievements. The IIHS has escalated its criteria for the distinguished Top Safety Pick+ and the esteemed second-tier Top Safety Pick distinctions. Despite the enhanced rigor, an impressive tally of 71 models met the criteria for these honors, with 22 vehicles securing the coveted Top Safety Pick+ accolade. This marks a notable increase from the previous year, where 65 models were recognized under the IIHS safety honors, highlighting a continuous improvement in vehicle safety standards.

The electric vehicle sector saw notable entries such as the Genesis Electrified G80, Hyundai Ioniq 6, and Tesla Model Y achieving the Top Safety Pick+ distinction. Moreover, several models attained the Top Safety Pick honor, including the Audi Q4 E-Tron and Q8 E-Tron, Genesis Electrified GV70, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Lexus RZ, Nissan Ariya, Rivian R1T and R1S, and Subaru Solterra, showcasing the safety advancements across a diverse range of EVs.

A pivotal adjustment in the IIHS evaluation for 2024 was the introduction of a more challenging side crash examination, employing a heavier barrier at an increased velocity upon collision. This year, only the highest "Good" rating secures a vehicle's position for an award, a testament to the stringent safety benchmarks set by the IIHS.

Furthermore, the evaluation process now includes an "Acceptable" or "Good" rating necessity in the enhanced pedestrian front-crash prevention test, amalgamating both daytime and nighttime scenarios into a singular assessment. This adjustment aims at a more holistic evaluation of a vehicle's safety in preventing front crashes with pedestrians, under varying lighting conditions.

The IIHS also rolled out a refined moderate front-overlap test for 2024, adding an additional crash test dummy behind the driver's seat to assess rear seat safety more meticulously. Achieving an "Acceptable" or "Good" score in this test is crucial for a vehicle to be considered for the Top Safety Pick+ honor, further emphasizing the comprehensive safety evaluations conducted by the IIHS.

In addition to these tests, vehicles must also secure a "Good" rating in the small-overlap front crash tests and possess "Good" or "Acceptable" headlights across all trim levels to qualify for either of the IIHS awards, ensuring that safety is not compromised at any level.

The discourse surrounding EV safety has broadened beyond crash performance metrics. The IIHS has clarified that while fires are not a predominant concern for EV safety, the weight of electric vehicles poses unique challenges. This was underscored by a study revealing that the hefty mass of EVs could potentially surpass the resilience of U.S. highway guardrails, indicating a need for infrastructure adaptation to keep pace with EV advancements.

In the realm of performance, the CEO of Stellantis posited that the rapid acceleration characteristic of EVs could be leveraged as a safety feature. However, this perspective invites debate and remains outside the purview of the IIHS safety evaluations.