VIDEO: Simulated crash puts electric semi truck battery to the test

A semi truck’s electric battery was put to the test on camera earlier this week; and experts say it passed with flying colors. 

Since hybrid semi trucks were first launched several years ago, engineers have been working to perfect their safety – namely, ensuring the batteries stay safe and intact in the wake of a collision. Scania, a Swedish big rig manufacturer, seems to have done just that in their recent crash test, which put an electric semi truck’s battery under intense, crash-like circumstances. 

Preparation for crash-tests such as this can take months, but the simulation itself, while entertaining to watch, is over in mere milliseconds.

“A great deal of development efforts forego a crash test such as this,” said Mikael Littmann, Head of Mechanical Testing. “We simulate over and over again, with different speed and angles. Simulation is a powerful tool, that is both faster and less expensive than the full-scale equivalent. We base the actual test on the results of our simulations.”

“And then it’s over in less than a second,” added Test Engineer Jakob Leygraf. “The actual crash test is ultimately only to confirm that our calculations were accurate.”

According to the results of this crash test, their calculations were spot on. The impact from the crash was properly distributed throughout the structure protecting the battery, warping the plastic structure but leaving the battery unscathed. 

What do you think about the potential rise in electric semi-trucks in the not-so-far-future? Regardless of your opinion, check out the video of the crash test below – because who doesn’t like to see a little bit of controlled destruction?