First crash test of an electric car

Crash-test organisation Euro NCAP has today revealed results of its latest tests – including its first on a fully electric car.

Mitsubishi i-MiEV crash test
The i-MiEV is the first of a series of electric cars that will be crash tested during 2011, and its credible four-star rating confirms that safety does not need to be compromised on EVs.

The Mitsubishi version of the all-electric car shares its rating with its twin models, the Citroen C-Zero and Peugeot iOn.

Dr Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP’s secretary general, said: ‘We recognise the efforts made by Mitsubishi to demonstrate that plug-in battery powered cars can be as safe as others.

'It shows that a future five-star accolade for EVs is not unthinkable.’

Electric car crash tests
Electric vehicles are exposed to the same crash conditions as regular cars, but special attention is paid to the condition of the batteries post-crash. The successful operation of a battery cut-off switch to isolate the car’ high-voltage power supply is also central to the test.

Other test results
Euro NCAP also released its latest batch of test results for conventional cars. There were as follows:

Dacia Duster 4x4: Three stars
The Dacia Duster failed to impress the safety organisation because of poor scores on pedestrian protection and safety assist. Euro NCAP said it is ‘disappointing’ that parent company Renault does not give the same priority to safety in Dacias as it does to cars sold under its own brand name.

Five-star vehicles
The following cars were all awarded the maximum five-star safety rating:
BMW X1
Hyundai ix20
Mitsubishi ASX
Nissan Juke

Euro NCAP Advanced reward of 2011
The crash-test organisation also revealed Infiniti’s FX as the winner of its first Euro NCAP Advanced award of 2011.

The FX’s Lane Departure Prevention System (LDP) is a camera-based system that helps drivers return to the correct lane if an unintentional deviation is detected.

Dr Michiel van Ratingen said: ‘Lane-departure is a factor in a large proportion of accidents, often involving loss of control and resulting in fatal and serious injuries.

‘Infiniti’s LDP system helps the driver to avoid this potential hazard. It is another example of industry’s latest efforts to further reduce accidents and casualties on the roads.’

The results in full



Detailed information on the latest results and on the safety of the rewarded technology can now be found on www.euroncap.com.