LINCOLN, NE—Engineers at the University of Nebraska recently conducted research to determine if currently used guardrails are prepared to handle the growing number of electric vehicles on America’s roads and highways. Unfortunately, the results are quite sobering.
The first-of-its-kind testing was conducted at Nebraska’s Midwest Roadside Safety Facility. At 60 mph, the 7,000-plus-pound, 2022 Rivian R1T pickup truck tore through a barrier with little reduction in speed. In a separate test, a 2018 Tesla Model 3 sedan lifted the guardrail and passed below it, coming to rest behind the barrier.