Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Chevrolet, Nissan
Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf Crash Tests - Click above for high-res image gallery
Volvo may be working to make sure its C30 Electric offers a completely safe ride when it arrives later this year, but both Chevrolet and Nissan can already say they have earned the highest safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In IIHS' first mainstream plug-in vehicle tests - which are done the same way as tests for vehicles with standard powertrains - both the 2011 Chevrolet Volt and the 2011 Nissan Leaf have were named "Good" for their front, side, rear, and rollover crash protection. IIHS said in a statement that, "The milestone demonstrates that automakers are using the same safety engineering in new electric cars as they do in gasoline-powered vehicles." Who's surprised about that?
The two plug-in pioneers also won the Top Safety Pick title, thanks to standard electronic stability control. So far in 2011, IIHS has named 80 cars as Top Safety Picks, so it's not like this is a refined category. The 2010 Toyota Prius and 2010 Honda Insight were named Top Safety Picks in late 2009. That said, IIHS has taken issue with some plug-in electric vehicles in the past, mostly the not-quite-a-car NEVs, especially small vehicles like the Gem e2 or the Wheego Whip. Read all of the IIHS' words on the subject in the press release after the jump.
[Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]
Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf earn Top Safety Picks in first IIHS electric vehicle crash tests originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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