Europe's independent crash testing authority, Euro NCAP, has released the results of several new vehicles, including its first test of a fully electric car.
The guinea pig here is the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and it's passed with flying colours, its not-too-shabby four star rating proving that safety needn't be compromised in zero-emissions vehicles.
The i-MiEV shares its rating with its twin models, the Citroën C-Zero and Peugeot iOn, which have the same design and safety equipment.
Euro NCAP tests plug-in vehicles with live batteries and the cars are exposed to the same test conditions as the other cars in the programme.
Special attention is given to post-crash battery integrity and the proper functioning of the battery cut-off switch that isolates the high-voltage battery in the event of a crash. No electrical or fire hazards were detected during the testing of the i-MiEV.
Also released this month is the small off-road 4x4 Dacia Duster which, with an overall rating of 3 stars, failed to impress Euro NCAP. Scoring only 28% in pedestrian protection and 29% for safety assist, the Duster performs well below the latest level of safety performance demonstrated by other new cars on the European market.
Euro NCAP expressed disappointment that a mother company like Renault does not give safety the same priority in Dacia cars as it does in cars sold under its own brand - albeit the Renault Sandero and Logan models sold in South Africa are rebadged Dacias.
In contrast, the BMW X1, Mitsubishi ASX and the Nissan Juke achieved the coveted 5 star overall rating. Furthermore, Euro NCAP applied 5 stars to the small MPV Hyundai ix20, twin of the Kia Venga tested in 2010.