Nissan Leaf, the First EV to Get 5 Stars Euro NCAP Rating

The European car safety guru, the Euro NCAP, released today the results of a new series of tests it conducted on the cars of the moment. Among them, the Nissan Leaf, the first mass-produced pure electric vehicle, a model that has now become the first of its kind to achieve Euro NCAP 5 star overall rating.

The Euro NCAP tested electric vehicles before, namely the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, but that vehicle only managed to receive a four star rating (the same rating applies to the sister models, the Citroen C-Zero and Peugeot iOn). In the case of the i-MiEV, the protection of the occupants was the one that caused the model to lose a star.

The Leaf, on the other hand, managed to impress the organization, because of its specially designed battery pack, located below the rear-seat compartment. This solution allows for both the protection of the occupants in case of a crash and reduces the risks of battery damage or high voltage leaking.

“The Nissan LEAF proves that EVs can be equally safe as common cars. The standard is now set for the next generation of cars on the European market ,” said Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP secretary general.

Under the new rating scheme of the organization, the Leaf achieved 89 percent in adult occupant protection, 83 percent in child occupant protection, 65 percent pedestrian protection and 84 percent safety assist. (Electronic Stability Control is standard on the model, as are a seatbelt reminder system for the front seats and speed limitation device).