The safety organization subjected the Mitsubishi i-MiEV to the same set of tests it did all other vehicles and found that the vehicle gives its occupants a four-star protection. The twin sister models of the i-MiEV, the Citroen C-Zero and Peugeot iOn, can be rated at the same level because they share the same design and safety features.
‘We recognize the efforts done by Mitsubishi to demonstrate that plug-in battery powered cars can be as safe as others. It shows that a future 5 star accolade for EVs is not unthinkable,” said Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP secretary general.
“Whether produced by established car manufacturers or by new players on the market, consumers should expect to get electric vehicles that meet the same safety standards as conventional vehicles.”
The main concern when testing electric vehicles is the way in which the batteries of the cars would react to the crash. Even in regular cars, the battery poses a great fire risk when a model is involved in an accident.
Unlike the testing of the regular models, the testing of an EV comprises a special analysis of the battery integrity the proper functioning of the battery cut-off switch which cuts the power in an event of the crash.
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