Did Electric Truck Used in New Orleans Attack Make It More Deadly?

The electric Ford F-150 Lightning that drove through a crowd of people in New Orleans on Wednesday, killing at least 15, was heavier and faster than its gas counterpart, but experts don’t see an “advantage” to using electric cars in these types of attacks.

Why It Matters

Shamsud-Din Jabbar was identified by the FBI as the suspect who drove a vehicle into a New Year’s celebration on Bourbon Street. The 42-year-old Houston resident was charged with driving with a suspended license in 2005 and misdemeanor theft in 2002, according to records reviewed by Newsweek.

The attack is the second to use a vehicle as a deadly weapon this holiday season. On December 20, a man drove a car into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, killing five people and injuring hundreds more.

What To Know

Jabbar’s truck was rented from Turo, a car rental website, and driven from Houston to New Orleans. Records reviewed by Newsweek show the car was purchased in August.

The Ford F-150 Lightning weighs around 6,500 pounds, which is roughly 1,000 more than the same gas-powered model, according to MotorTrend.

Heavier cars pose a greater risk to pedestrians, according to a 2021 study published in Economics of Transportation. Researchers found if U.S. residents stayed with smaller cars instead of switching to heavier SUVs over the last 20 years, more than 1,000 pedestrian deaths might have been averted.

U.S. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy raised concerns about the safety risk heavier cars posed to pedestrians in 2023.

“We have to be careful that we aren’t also creating unintended consequences: more death on our roads,” Homenday said, citing the Ford F-150 lightning as an example.

Beth Osborne, director of the advocacy group Transportation for America, told The New York Times in 2023 that heavier vehicles hit pedestrians with greater force, raising the potential for more dangerous crashes.

“Vehicles that are heavier might be able to plow through obstacles a little better than a traditional sedan or car,” Dr. Scott White, an associate professor at George Washington University and director of the Cybersecurity Program and Cyber Academy, told Newsweek.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires electric vehicles to emit warning sounds when traveling less than 18.6 miles per hour. This is because electric cars produce less noise than combustion engine vehicles, which can make it more difficult for pedestrians and cyclists to be aware of their presence.

But, when traveling at higher speeds, the quiet of an electric car goes away.

“Once a vehicle reaches 20 mph, an EV is no quieter than a gas-powered vehicle because the tire noise and wind noise become the loudest sources of noise from a vehicle. Unless an EV is traveling less than 20 mph, it has no stealth-mode advantage over gas-powered ones,” John McElroy, automotive commentator and founder of the industry analysis program Autoline Daily, told Newsweek.

Ford’s electric truck is faster than its gas counterpart. The Ford F-150 Lightning can go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds with a standard battery and under 4 seconds with an extended battery. The gas-powered F-150 goes from 0 to 60 in 7.6 seconds.

Despite the extra weight and the increased speed, experts don’t see a huge advantage to an electric vehicle in an attack like the one in New Orleans.

“If someone is using a vehicle to deliver explosives or simply run over people, it doesn’t matter if it’s powered by electricity or gasoline,” McElroy said.

White shared a similar sentiment.

“I don’t know if an attacker would necessarily choose one over another,” White said. “There’s a variety of different vehicles that would add different things for a different type of attacker.”

What People Are Saying

President Joe Biden, in a statement: “My heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities.”

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, on X, formerly Twitter: “A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning. Please join Sharon and I in praying for all the victims and first responders on scene. I urge all near the scene to avoid the area.”

What Happens Next

The public is being asked to avoid Bourbon Street north from Canal to Dumaine Street and also east to Royal Street and west to Dauphine Street until further notice.

The FBI is the lead agency in the investigation. The agency is asking anyone who had any interactions with Jabbar in the last 72 hours to contact the FBI. Anyone with information that can assist is asked to contact the FBI’s New Orleans Bureau by calling (504) 816-3000 or by emailing tips@fbi.gov.

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