External Impacts and Assessment of Electric Vehicles: Probabilistic Risk Assessment Framework

The rapid growth of electric vehicles (EVs) as a sustainable alternative to internal combustion engine vehicles has brought increasing attention to safety and reliability concerns. While much focus has been placed on the internal performance and thermal management of battery systems, external impacts such as collisions, multi-impact crashes, and environmental loads remain critical yet less explored areas of study. This paper addresses the external impacts on EV structures and battery systems, highlighting the potential consequences on crashworthiness, structural integrity, and occupant safety. To systematically evaluate these risks, a probabilistic assessment framework is proposed, incorporating random variables, fault tree analysis (FTA), and event tree analysis (ETA). By quantifying uncertainties in impact scenarios and structural responses, the framework provides a structured approach to estimate the likelihood of failure events and assess overall system reliability. Case studies and data-driven insights are included to demonstrate the applicability of this framework in analyzing crash impacts, thermal runaway risks, and cascading failures in EVs. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating probabilistic methods into safety evaluations, ensuring robust design practices and regulatory readiness for next-generation EVs