New Orleans attack raises questions about how heavy, quick-accelerating electric vehicles might challenge our infrastructure

For the first time in a major vehicle attack in New Orleans , the car was electric.

It poses questions about how heavy, quick-accelerating electric vehicles might challenge our infrastructure.

Most of the infrastructure that stops drivers from hitting people, buildings, and each other is designed to stop accidents, not terrorists.

At the University of Nebraska ’s Midwest Roadside Safety Facility , Cody Stolle is the lead investigator of crashing EVs into things.

This summer , he slammed a 7,000-pound Rivian pickup at an angle into a portable concrete barrier.

The 5,000 pound barriers were thrown more than 10 feet , twice as far as in similar tests with a Dodge Quad Cab .

But, he added, “We don’t want people to panic and be afraid. The fact that we’re aware of these compatibility issues means they can be remedied.