Nissan Leaf wins five-star Euro NCAP safety accolade

Award means Leaf is the first pure electric car to be awarded the top safety standard. Plus watch the exclusive crash test video

The Nissan Leaf has become the first pure electric car to be awarded a five-star rating under the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) crash tests.

The Leaf earned an 89% rating for adult safety, an 83% rating for child protection and an 84% rating for its on-board safety assist systems, which include Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and a speed limiter as standard. The family hatchback also earned a higher-than-average 65% score for pedestrian safety, thanks in part to the low nose design and the comparative lack of 'hard points' under the bonnet.

Pierre Loing, vice president of product strategy and planning at Nissan International, and head of the company's zero emission business unit, said: "Leaf's performance in these safety tests underlines the engineering integrity that has gone into the car and proves that this 100% electric vehicle is the perfect match for daily family use. It is one of the safest cars on the road.”

He said that the results proved that electric vehicles could achieve the same safety levels as traditional cars and that the standard was now set for the next generation of such cars on the European market.

Leaf's safety assessment followed standard Euro NCAP procedure, with tests for frontal impact, side impact, side pole impact and whiplash. The car's 48 lithium-ion battery modules, which are housed in a special compartment beneath the floor, completely withstood all the impacts.

In addition, the electric vehicle's battery system was switched on during the crash simulations to test the in-built safety measures of the electrical system, which includes automatic cut-off isolation in the event of an accident.