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Article By John Redfern

Electric car winners and losers in Euro NCAP crash tests

Two electric cars scored five stars in the latest safety assessments, but others fared less well.

The latest round of Euro NCAP crash tests has seen electric cars demonstrate impressive safety standards.

Two new EVs scored the top five-star safety rating, with another achieving a four-star score.

However, two vehicles fared much worse, with one failing to gain any stars from Euro NCAP.

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Leading the results was the new BMW iX electric SUV, with a five-star score. Euro NCAP praised its impressive level of protection in frontal and side impacts. The iX scored less well for protecting pedestrians, despite its standard automatic emergency braking system.

The new Mercedes-EQ EQS saloon also claimed five stars, with a strong showing in terms of protecting adult and child occupants. Given the flagship status of the EQS, a high score for safety technology was to be expected.

At the other end of the price scale, the Fiat 500e supermini managed four stars. Lower ratings for adult occupant protection, along with less active safety technology, limited its final rating.

The latest results were not all positive for electric cars. Not sold in the UK, the new Dacia Spring electric supermini was awarded just one star overall. Protection of adult and child occupants was low, and levels of safety equipment were judged to be poor.

However, the updated Renault Zoe was awarded no stars at all by Euro NCAP. The replacement of a head-and-thorax airbag with a less effective thorax-only version contributed to its dreadful score.

Michiel van Ratingen, secretary general of Euro NCAP, said: “Renault was once synonymous with safety. The Laguna was the first car to get five stars, back in 2001. But these disappointing results for the Zoe and the Dacia Spring show that safety has now become collateral damage in the group’s transition to electric cars.”

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