Euro NCAP has tested the safety of six electric cars. Two of them burned down – Živé.sk

• Renault Zoe paid for a stricter methodology.
• Dacia Spring also achieved an unflattering score.
• Premium electric cars excelled in tests.

The growing importance of electric propulsion in the automotive market can be seen, among other things, in the safety tests carried out by Euro NCAP. She has currently checked eleven cars. There were up to six electric cars, so they formed an absolute majority. Two of them burned in the tests.

Not one instead of five stars

The negative hero of the whole group is Renault Zoe. It originally debuted in 2013, when it received a full five stars. However, its upgraded version has not received one now. It thus documents well the great tightening that the evaluation criteria have undergone in recent years.

Renault has not only lost points on electronics, which is often the Achilles’ heel of results. The jury highlighted the absence of a multi-collision brake, driver fatigue monitoring system or eCall. She also criticized Zoe for offering autonomous braking or lane keeping for an additional fee. She also criticized the vehicle for unsuitable Isofix handles and the dangerous construction of the dashboard.

In addition, the French electric car showed poor physical protection of the head, cervical spine or chest, both for adult and child passengers. Problems arose mainly from side and rear impacts. The change in the side airbag, which now only protects the chest, contributed to this. In one case, therefore, there was direct contact between the driver’s head and the pillar.

The tests showed a cheap basis

The same weakest result within the test group was taken care of by the same concern, as Dacia Spring received only one star. In this case, the old launch date cannot be argued. The Romanian novelty came on the market only recently, but its technical and design starting point is the Renault Kwid introduced at the end of 2015.

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The cheap Dacia electric car came on the market in the first half of the year.

Source: EURO NCAP

This model of the parent brand Renault was designed primarily for India and Brazil, where safety is significantly lower. The cheap design basis has now been shown in Euro NCAP tests. Although Dacia has the eCall system, it was otherwise bothered by similar problems as the Zoe model. A common feature is, for example, the dangerous components of the dashboard.

The jury criticizes the great force needed to open the door after the accident. In addition, it draws attention to the weak protection of passengers in several ways. The press release mentions the high risk of life-threatening injuries to the driver’s torso and the heads of people sitting in the back. The Spring’s autonomous brake has also been criticized. It showed only average reactions to other vehicles, while it does not react to pedestrians or cyclists at all.

Premium brand models did not disappoint

Four other electric cars achieved solid results. The Fiat 500e lost points, for example, for the absence of a multi-collision brake and the eCall system. Otherwise, the electronic equipment of the Italian hatchback is decent and has demonstrated a good level of passenger protection in crash tests. He got four stars in the final.

The MG Marvel R also ended up with a four-star result, as it generally offers a good level of safety. The SUV of the British brand, owned by the Chinese, paid extra for pushing the pelvis of the passenger sitting in the back under the belly part of the seat belt, worse protection of the cervical spine in the rear seats or an unconvincing autonomous brake.

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In terms of safety, the EQS electric sedan is at the forefront.

Source: EURO NCAP

The remaining pair scored a full five stars. These are representatives of premium brands, namely the BMW iX and Mercedes-EQ EQS. In the case of the Bavarian SUV, the jury released a multi-collision brake that did not meet Euro NCAP standards. Otherwise, she had no reservations and did not find any major disadvantages in the sedan from Stuttgart. This pair is one of the safest cars on the market today, not only among electric cars.

Big differences in price

Of course, there are abysmal differences between the tested models from a financial point of view. Mercedes starts at almost 105,000 and the BMW is 78,550 euros, while the Dacia sells for only 16,700 euros. Despite an even lower level of safety, Renault almost doubles. At € 32,800, the Zoe is significantly more expensive than the Fiat 500e, which starts at € 24,390.

Although purchase prices also reflect many other parameters and equipment (especially battery size), in the context of Euro NCAP results, their comparison is interesting. In some cases, manufacturers face a dilemma. Money can be invested in longer distances or stronger propulsion, but sometimes at the expense of safety.