G-Wiz Revisited

I posted recently about the G-Wiz having undergone tweaking to make it a safer car. A reader called me to task for reporting one-side of the story and I promised I would look into it. Debates abound. Was it fair? Was it not fair? Did the G-Wiz really fail?

The facts:

* The G-Wiz is like many popular EVs. It’s not a four-wheeled car, and doesn’t need to meet the safety standards put forth for four-wheeled cars.

* The G-Wiz, like many popular EVs, met the standards it was legally bound to meet.

* The government (and a British outfit called Top Gear) tested the G-Wiz by the standards required of four-wheeled cars.

* The G-Wiz failed those tests.

* The government says the EV was being promoted as a car, which was the basis behind the testing.

* G-Wiz claims the average speed and use does not justify holding it to the same standards as a car.

The verdict:

* The test was important because it showed people, much more effectively than FAQs on a website or text in a brochure, that these vehicles aren’t as safe as riding in a four-wheeled car. Or an SUV. Or a wagon, or minivan. That’s a point consumers may have been missing.
* I was wrong to say that the G-Wiz had let anyone down. They were made an example of because they are so very popular in the UK. The same results may have come from testing a ZAP or GEM the same way.

People need to keep safety in mind when looking to alternative vehicles … and not jump the gun when they hear about testing gone awry. ;)