Mercedes Crashed An Electric Truck On Purpose. Here's What Happened To The Battery

"Electric vehicle battery fires are once again in the spotlight, after Jeep recalled over 300,000 plug-in hybrids because their high-voltage packs could go up in flames. That's attention-grabbing, sure, but the reality is that modern EV batteries are extremely safe. To prove that, Mercedes-Benz crashed an eActros 600 truck on purpose, simulating a car ramming into one side of the electric chassis, where some of the batteries are housed."

"As a reminder, the eActros 600 is powered by a huge 621-kilowatt-hour lithium iron phosphate battery pack that's split into three separate compartments. During the crash test, a car-like vehicle weighing over 2,200 pounds (1,000 kilograms) smashed into the right side of Mercedes-Benz's electric truck at a speed of over 31 miles per hour (50 kilometers per hour). According to the truck maker, this is a typical impact in the heavy-duty trucking world."

"So, what happened to the batteries? Well, nothing. Despite the considerable force exerted, the entire high-voltage battery system and all electrical components remained intact, Mercedes-Benz Trucks said. That's reassuring, especially for a vehicle that has seven times the battery capacity of the Chevrolet Equinox EV. Mercedes-Benz said that the high-voltage battery modules remained intact and that their housing showed no critical deformations, thanks to a frame architecture specifically designed to take a beating in heavy-duty collisions."

Mercedes‑Benz intentionally crashed an eActros 600 electric truck in a side-impact scenario where some batteries are located. The eActros 600 carries a 621‑kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack divided into three compartments. A roughly 1,000‑kilogram vehicle struck the truck's right side at over 50 km/h, a speed characterized as typical for heavy‑duty impacts. The high‑voltage battery system and electrical components remained intact and showed no critical deformations. Prior virtual simulations produced similar outcomes. A frame architecture specifically designed for heavy collisions protected the battery modules and housing in this scenario.

Read at insideevs.com