Nissan LEAF and Ford Focus receive Euro NCAP accolades

Date: 25/5/2011

Nissan and Ford have both received praise in the latest round of the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP).

The fully electric Nissan LEAF bagged a rating of five stars - the first vehicle of its kind to achieve this.

According to Euro NCAP, in terms of road safety, the manufacture has ensured drivers are protected by placing the battery pack in the rear seat compartment to lower the risk of it being damaged or causing a high voltage leak in the event of a collision.

Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP Secretary General, says: "The Nissan LEAF proves that electric vehicles can be equally safe as common cars. The standard is now set for the next generation of cars on the European market."

Other manufacturers to receive praise from Euro NCAP included Ford, with its third generation C-segment Focus also bagging a rating of five stars.

The Volvo V60, Peugeot 508 and Citroen DS4 all also received five stars.

Euro NCAP recently announced that it is now testing plug-in electric cars, with the first vehicle of this type to undergo an examination cited as the Mitsubishi i-MiEV.

Posted by Sarah Bailey