If you have any doubts about switching to an electric car, then they shouldn’t concern safety, because by choosing a Chevrolet Volt or a Nissan Leaf you will be as protected as you would be in a regular vehicle. And i’s not me who’s saying this: the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an authority in the field, has conducted a series of crash test evaluations for plug-in electric cars and this is the conclusion they’ve come up with.
Joe Nolan, the chief administrator officer of the Institute reassured us that the only thing distinguishing between regular and electric cars is their engine, but the safety conditions are the same: the two models have obtained excellent marks for front, side, rear and rollover crash protections.
Even the test itself was not very different: it just made sure that in if an accident occurred, the occupant compartment remains untouched and the occupants themselves are left without a scratch (the airbags kicked in at the right time).
These qualifiers are important because they help consumers orient on the market of eco-friendly cars, it tells them which is the “good stuff.” Because not every model is one: last year, engineers found out that GEM e2 and Wheego Wip (now Wheego LiFe) would behave very poorly in an accident scenario, leaving the people inside them harmed or even dead.
True, they are not destined for road traffic, but nonetheless it is essential to feel safe. In conclusion, engineers highly recommend buying a Chevrolet Volt or a Nissan Leaf, at least when it comes to safety standards. So, the award goes to: Volt and Leaf!
