Electric vehicles are becoming more common as the push for cleaner motoring takes place. A new study has researched the most popular electric vehicles (EVs) in the U.S. in order to identify which are the most accident-prone ones. This reveals that the Lucid Air leads the list with 51.95 crashes per 10,000 cars.
It is also notable how the Tesla Model 3 had the highest number of total fatal accidents, with 147 in the past 5 years.
In contrast, the safest EV is the Porsche Taycan, with a crash rate of 0.06 per 10,000 vehicles.
The review was undertaken by the firm Levine and Wiss, who analysed the number of most searched electric vehicles involved in fatal crashes, as well as each model’s units sold during these years. The crash rate per 10,000 cars sold was then calculated to identify the EVs with the highest accident rates.
This revealed:
| Car model | Average Monthly Searches for 2023 | Total Crashes | Total Sales | Crashes per 10,000 Vehicles |
| Lucid Air | 1,116,300 | 1 | 1949 | 51.95 |
| Volkswagen ID.4 | 392,010 | 2 | 37253 | 15.55 |
| Mazda MX-30 | 43,500 | 2 | 385 | 12.5 |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 968,790 | 36 | 23135 | 5.13 |
| Tesla Model 3 | 10,388,030 | 147 | 825,225 | 4.87 |
| Tesla Model S | 2,675,800 | 69 | 166,705 | 4.3 |
| Tesla Model Y | 5,430,100 | 49 | 427327 | 4.14 |
| Hyundai Kona Electric | 250,040 | 2 | 350,270 | 4.13 |
| Chevrolet Bolt EV | 1,494,710 | 21 | 88293 | 2.83 |
| Nissan Leaf | 334,860 | 26 | 62,902 | 2.49 |
While the Lucid Air tops the list of most accident-prone EVs there was only one fatal crash; it tops the list due to very low number of units sold (1,949), hence its crash rate is disproportionately high. This model also has a significant average monthly search volume of 1,116,300, indicating high public interest despite its high accident rate.
The Volkswagen ID.4 ranks second with a crash rate of 15.55 per 10,000 vehicles. With two fatal crashes and 37,253 units sold, the ID.4’s accident rate is notable. Its average monthly searches are 392,010, reflecting a growing interest in this model.
With a crash rate of 12.5 per 10,000 vehicles, the Mazda MX-30 had two fatal crashes and only 385 units sold, which places the model third on the list. Despite its lower sales volume, the MX-30’s accident rate is significant, and it has 43,500 average monthly searches.
The Tesla Model 3, while having the highest number of total fatal accidents totalling 147, has a crash rate of 4.87 per 10,000 vehicles due to its large sales volume of 825,225 units. This model is the most searched EV with 10,388,030 average monthly searches, indicating its popularity.
Overall, such vehicles introduce new factors into accident scenarios, such as quieter engines and quicker acceleration, that drivers may not anticipate.
