This year, independent crash testing organization EuroNCAP surprisingly hasn’t tested many cars. And among the rare models put to the test, the vast majority come from Chinese manufacturers. Which obviously does not fail to challenge…
If range and price are the main criteria when buying an electric car, other elements must also be taken into account. Among them, safety, which obviously remains very important, particularly in the event of an accident. And this even if zero-emission (exhaust) models are sometimes more likely to be scrapped following a collision, even a slight one.
An astonishing record
This is why the independent body EuroNCAP was created, which is responsible for evaluating the latest cars launched on the market. For this, this one sets up crash tests, in order to determine how safe a car is, in several aspects. Namely the safety of adult occupants and children as well as that of vulnerable users such as pedestrians and cyclists. Driving aids are also taken into account and evaluated during these operations.
And as the year 2023 has just ended, the time to take stock has come. The opportunity to take a quick look at the electric cars which were tested this year by the European body. And that’s the disappointment. As noted by the site’s journalists Clean Automotiveonly 17 models have in fact been put to the test in recent months, which is very few.
Unsurprisingly, the majority of cars evaluated are 100% electric, including the BYD Seal, Dolphin, Seal U and Tang, the Smart #3 and the new Kia EV9. A batch which remains quite interesting, especially since certain cars particularly shone. This is for example the case of the Nio ET5 and EL7, which obtained the maximum rating of five stars. The Xpeng P7 has also proven itself.
But taking a closer look at the list of cars tested, we realize something surprising. And for good reason, Chinese models are the majority compared to European cars which are becoming rare, with the Volkswagen ID.7 and other Mercedes EQE SUVs. Worse still, there is not the slightest trace of French vehicles, although many new products have been unveiled in recent months by our national manufacturers.
The Chinese favored?
But where are the Citroën ë-C3, Renault Scénic E-Tech and other Peugeot e-3008 presented in 2023? According to our colleagues, their absence is explained by the fact that they have not yet been launched and that testing will take place over the next few months. But they also note the absence of older cars already on the market, such as the new Fiat 600e that we recently tested as well as the Jeep Avenger.
According to EuroNCAP, it would not be possible to test all the new developments on the market, and it is therefore necessary to choose those that are most relevant. Surprising, when we know that Jeep’s electric SUV was elected car of the year 2023 ! And it’s even more so when we see cars from Xpeng or Nio, which are not even sold everywhere on the Old Continent, and in very small quantities. Not to mention the VinFast VF8, which still remains quite confidential.
The journalists explain that it is entirely possible that the Chinese brands have made sure to have their cars evaluated as a priority, by providing these more quickly to the organism. The latter in fact underlines that manufacturers can “sponsor” the tests by giving them cars. This saves EuroNCAP from having to buy the cars.
And the Chinese have every interest in doing so, in order to give themselves more credibility and reassure potential customers. Especially since recent crash tests have proven that cars from the Middle Kingdom have nothing to envy of others.
In theory, brands cannot pay bribes to EuroNCAP to get their cars good marks. So Chinese companies have simply been faster than others by donating cars, in order to occupy a more important place in the ranking. We will now have to wait to know the results of the recently launched cars, including some highly anticipated French ones.