Nissan Leaf First Car to Get Highest Rating in New Euro NCAP Crash Tests

Back in 2011, the Nissan Leaf became the world’s first electric car to get a five star rating from the European car safety watchdog. Seven year later, the latest generation of the model achieved the same result, following a series of test conducted by the organization.

Coincidently, the Leaf is the first car the Euro NCAP has tested under its revised and extended protocols for 2018. For the first time ever, the cyclist detection system with auto brake has undergone scrutiny, alongside a variety of crash scenarios involving cars and pedestrians.

Revised rating updates for this year include testing of pedestrian detection in darkness and obscure lighting conditions and how the emergency lane keeping and reacts to a road edge, marked and unmarked.

“These latest updates in Euro NCAP's active safety testing focus on both the protection of those inside the car and those who share road-space with it,” said Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP secretary general.

“Our new assessments demonstrate the increasing level of sophistication that can be achieved by connecting various sensor systems installed on the vehicle.”

According to the organization, the revised criteria based on which the vehicles are tested are the toughest implemented in Europe to date. They currently track a vehicle’s performance based on its performance in four main areas: adult occupant protection for driver and passenger, child occupant protection, vulnerable road users protection and safety assist.

For adult protection, the Leaf scored 93 percent, while for child occupant it scored 86 percent. A 71 percent rating was handed for both vulnerable road users protection and safety assist systems.