Electric car safety not compromised in crash tests.

25 February 2011

Euro NCAP has announced the outcome of its first assessment of an electric plug-in vehicle, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. The car’s creditable four star rating shows that safety does not need to be compromised in zero-emissions vehicles. The i-MiEV shares its rating with its twin models, the Citroën C-Zero and Peugeot iOn, which have the same design and safety equipment.

Euro NCAP tests plug-in vehicles with live batteries and the cars are exposed to the same test conditions as the other cars in the programme. Special attention is given to post-crash battery integrity and the proper functioning of the battery cut-off switch that isolates the high-voltage battery in the event of a crash. In order to test these cars in a safe manner, extra precautions are taken before, during and after testing. The tests can only be performed at laboratories with specially-trained personnel; service plugs are removed during vehicle preparation and extra fire-fighting measures are taken to ensure the safety of laboratory personnel and equipment. No electrical or fire hazards were detected during the testing of the i-MiEV.