- European car safety program Euro NCAP’s latest round of crash tests show that many EVs continue to score top marks when it comes to crash safety, with a whole host of EVs, both big and small, taking home five star ratings.
- The Polestar 3, Mini Cooper E, and Audi A6 e-tron all gained five star ratings, as well as new EVs headed to Europe from China such as the Geely EX5 and Hongqi E-HS9.
- The results once again highlight how EVs continue to lead the way in not just protecting the air we breathe, but also the occupants inside them.
EVs score high in new Euro NCAP test results
All the five star EVs in this round of testing scored highly not just on adult and child passenger protection, but also when it came to their pedestrian protection and crash avoidance technologies. The results are particularly pleasing for newcomers Geely and Hongqi, who will be looking to promote high levels of safety on what are relatively unheard of brands for European consumers.
The A6 e-tron’s five star rating was another plus for Audi, with previous Audi EVs tested by Euro NCAP (including the Q4 e-tron, A6 e-tron, and Q6 e-tron) also gaining the maximum five stars.
The Polestar 3 has evidently inherited Volvo’s safety-first reputation, with the electric SUV also scoring the full five stars. In the child protection category, it scored 93% – the highest rating seen on any passenger car by Euro NCAP in the last nine years.
Lutz Stiegler, Chief Technical Officer at Polestar, commented:
“With a shared safety DNA with Volvo Cars there was no doubt in our minds how safe Polestar 3 is, and this five-star Euro NCAP rating simply reinforces that. And for us, safety is an inherent part of the Polestar performance ethos, so Polestar 3 customers can be safe in the knowledge our flagship SUV is fun and exciting to drive and takes care of them, and the people around them, at the same time.”
The Mini Cooper E’s 5/5 star rating was a win not just for MINI, but for those campaigning against increasingly large vehicles that are less appropriate for Europe’s typically narrow and crowded urban streets. It goes to show that a small EV can still provide exemplary levels of protection to its passengers, without resorting to larger SUV-type vehicles.
Dr. Aled Williams, Programme Director at Euro NCAP, commented:
“The results achieved by the MINI Cooper E speak of how the car industry continues to advance the safety of cars in all shapes and sizes, responding positively to the benchmarks laid down by Euro NCAP. It shows that you don’t have to compromise your brand values to meet the highest of safety standards. Nearly a quarter of a century after its reinvention, the MINI remains a compact, fun, young-at-heart car without compromising the protection of those inside the vehicle as well as those around it.”
From 2026, Euro NCAP will adopt a new and more stringent testing regime, which will put an additional and increased focus on preventing crashes from happening in the first place. Overall scores will be based off four segments, namely safe driving, crash avoidance, crash protection, and post-crash safety. The organisation has already noted that to score top marks, manufacturers will need to provide physical and easy-to-use buttons for ‘key features’, such as indicators, warning lights, and wipers. This could discourage the entirely screen-led approach that we’ve previously seen from some EV manufacturers.
The full details from Euro NCAP’s latest round of testing can be seen, here.
