Aug

Only 3 hybrids have fundamental safety feature

Posted by admin Published in Hybrids

This is a follow up to the composition ranking the 5 safest hybrids. I stand by my methods but I think a fair criticism was that I might have missed safer hybrids whether I had started with a larger experiment group. I repeated that pop quiz using the methodology of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) own rankings for safest cars. Every car on their lists included Electronic Stability Control (ESC).

“Electronic stability control, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is the biggest lifesaver since seat belts. It’s so effective that the NHTSA estimates 4,200 to 5,400 of the 10,000 deaths caused each year in rollover accidents could be prevented whether it were on all vehicles” according to the Boston Globe. So, which hybrids have Electronic Stability Control? Just three in 2007 according to that list.

Toyota Camry Hybrid
Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Honda Accord Hybrid

The Camry and Highlander were on my first list. I did not include the Accord considering of the MPG rating of 24 city and 32 highway, which is not great. It has a lesser crash experiment rating than the Camry but let’s be clear, all the hybrids have 4 or 5 star ratings which is very

good. Even with a lower MPG, I must confess the inclusion of ESC might put the Accord ahead of other hybrids in my first list.

I was a little shocked so few hybrids had that feature. So I guess it may be best just to award one hybrid, in class. So AutoblogGreen’s opinion of the safest hybrid for 2007 passenger car is the Toyota Camry Hybrid. The safest SUV is the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Federal regulars will require all cars to include ESC by 2012. We will rank 2008 hybrids as crash info becomes available.

Addendum: It appears the absence of stability control may be due to the complexity of combining regenerative braking, friction braking and slip control systems. Blending regen and friction braking seamlessly is a non-trivial problem and throwing additional brake control just adds to that. As new hybrids come to market in the next couple of years, upgraded brake control systems will allow them to add the additional functionality of keeping the vehicle pointed where the driver wants to go.

(fellow AutoblogGreen blogger Sam Abuelsamid contributed to that article)

[Source: Safercar.gov]

Original post by Lascelles Linton