All passenger vehicles, including EVs, sold in the U.S. must meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and must undergo an extensive, long-established testing process and battery packs must go through additional testing. EVs generally perform better than conventional vehicles in crash tests and score overall higher ratings from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS)

• The battery, motor, and associated electronics require little to no regular maintenance

• There are fewer fluids, such as engine oil, that require regular maintenance

• Brake wear is significantly reduced due to regenerative braking

• There are far fewer moving parts relative to a conventional gasoline engine.

• Consumer Reports estimates that maintenance costs are 50% less for EVs than ICE cars

Battery packs are in sealed shells and are tested for conditions such as overcharge, vibration, extreme temperatures, short circuit, humidity, fire, collision, and water immersion. EVs are designed with additional safety features that shut down the electrical system when they detect a collision or short circuit.

EVs catch fire much less often than ICE vehicles—they are about 60 times less likely to catch fire than ICE vehicles. ICE vehicle fires are extremely common in the U.S. They are estimated to happen 500600 times on average every day.

Because batteries are generally placed widely within the frame along the bottom of the vehicle, EVs tend to have a lower center of gravity than conventional vehicles, making them more stable and less likely to roll over.