Vehicle electric system for a motor vehicle, motor vehicle, and method for operating a vehicle electric system

To operate a safety load in a vehicle electric system and compensate for power surges, a vehicle electric system has a vehicle battery, an electric load, an energy storage device in form of double-layer capacitor, and a switching assembly. In a first switching state, the system can compensate for a power surge by connecting the double-layer capacitor in series with the vehicle battery with opposite polarity. The vehicle electric system also has an additional load, for example for providing functionality that is relevant for the safety of the vehicle occupants. The additional load can be supplied with a voltage present at the vehicle battery and/or with a voltage present at the electric load. A DC-to-DC converter taps an electric voltage present at the energy store and converts the tapped voltage into a supply voltage, with which the additional load can be redundantly supplied.