The 2026 Cadillac Escalade IQ is among the four new electric vehicle models General Motors has added to its portfolio since second-quarter 2024.

Cars have become much larger than they were in the past.

The average person may think large family SUVs, hefty work trucks or utility vans with big engines are the heaviest vehicles on the road (excluding semi and box trucks), but not always. Electric vehicles may not look that heavy, but you might be surprised by how much weight they carry. The massive batteries can make an EV sedan weigh as much as a heavy-duty pickup truck, or even more.

What makes electric vehicles so heavy?

A standard engine and gas tank in an internal combustible engine (ICE) car weigh a few hundred pounds combined, while an electric car battery can reach a few thousand pounds. For example, a Cadillac Escalade can weigh between 5,807 pounds to 6,188 pounds. Its EV counterpart, the Escalade IQ, has a curb weight that eclipses 9,000 pounds. Escalades are already enormous now the electric version is 3,000 pounds heavier. Many other ICE cars that have an EV version built alongside them have similar weight differences.

According to Automotive World, "while a 15 gallon tank of gasoline weighs about 90lbs and provides about 300 miles of range for a mid-size sedan, a traditional Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery pack has to weigh well over 1,000lbs to provide a similar range." A gas-powered engine and a full gas tank can carry a lot of weight, but a berry from an average EV is significantly heavier on average.

What are the safety concerns?

With electric vehicles getting larger and larger, safety concerns for pedestrians and other vehicles are rising. According to the IIHS (Insurance Institute of Highway Safety), "their extra weight will afford them greater protection in a multivehicle crash. Unfortunately, given the way these vehicles are currently designed, this increased protection comes at the expense of people in other vehicles. The extra weight may also present a threat to pedestrians and bicyclists."

Another issue regarding the heavy weight of EVs to consider is how the extra mass will affect braking. Heavier cars tend to have longer stopping distances, which could pose a problem if the driver needs to slam on the breaks to avoid a potential crash, pedestrian or hazard on the road.

Do they cause more wear and tear on roads?

Some residential roads have signs that say no vehicles over 3 tons should enter and this normally refers to large trucks, but what about EVs? Since electric cars have a higher curb weight on average than ICE cars, they will do more damage to roads over time. This issue can mostly be attributed to cars in general being bigger than they were in the past, but the extra weight from EVs remains an issue.

Quest to make batteries lighter

Progress is being made on reducing the weight of EV batteries, but more research and development is needed. Lithium-ion batteries power the EVs we see today, but development of Solid-state batteries could be groundbreaking for the future of electric cars. These batteries will provide faster charging and longer range and reduce weight. Many automakers have begun testing these batteries already, but it will take time for them to overtake lithium-ion batteries.

The weight of a car can be attributed to many components, such as the size of the vehicle, chassis, the engine and fluid, but the battery of EVs is where a bulk of their weight comes from. Because of their size, they can potentially cause more harm to roads, passengers in other vehicles during a collision and to pedestrians. Progress is being made to reduce battery weights, but we are years away from that being implemented.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Buying an EV? Here’s why electric cars are so heavy

Reporting by Keenan Thompson, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press

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