Washington, D.C. — The Nissan Leaf is the most accident-prone EV in the United States, according to a study conducted by the Barnes Firm.
In the study, Barnes analyzed the number of electric vehicles involved in fatal crashes over the past five years, as well as the total number of each model unit sold in 2023. This data was then used to calculate the crash rate per 1,000 cars sold in 2023, identifying the EVs with the highest accident rate.
The Nissan Leaf touts a crash rate of 2.16 accidents per 1,000 cars sold, including 26 fatal crashes in the past five years. Although the Nissan leaf is a popular and widely adopted EV, its higher accident rate raises concerns about its safety performance compared to other models.
Tesla, which holds the largest share of the EV market, does not hold the highest accident rate; the Tesla Model 3 had 147 fatal accidents in the last five years. While these numbers may seem concerning, it’s important to consider the larger context of Tesla’s extensive fleet size and the fact that they have sold more EVs than any other brand in recent years.
The Barnes Firm study identified the Hyundai Kona Electric as the safest EV, with a remarkably low crash rate of three accidents per 1,000 cars sold. This demonstrates Hyundai’s commitment to safety features and performance in their EV models.
It is important to note that these findings are based on available data and do not solely represent the overall safety performance of these models. However, they do provide valuable insights into the accident rates of different EVs and the need for ongoing research and analysis to improve safety standards across the industry.
