Sept. 1, Euro NCAP commences its focus on Plug-In Vehicles and advanced Safety Technologies

Euro NCAP releases the crash test results for four vehicles: the Honda CR-Z, the Suzuki Swift, the Citroen C4 and the Hyundai ix35. In this latest set of results all of the cars received a maximum five star rating. The results show that manufacturers are rising to the challenges of Euro NCAP’s new rating scheme and are continuing to make safety a priority. The Honda CR-Z demonstrates that good all round safety needs not be compromised by a fuel efficient petrol-electric hybrid powertrain: its pedestrian protection result continues the high scores achieved by recently tested Hondas. Several manufacturers are expected to release fully electric vehicles in the near future. From October onwards, Euro NCAP will be able to offer even more comprehensive guidance to consumers about the safety offered by new cars. Euro NCAP Advanced will assess those technologies which are beyond the scope of the current crash tests. more...