List Of The Best And The Safest Electric Cars

Safety is one of the main things you must consider before buying an electric car. Whether you are looking for an electric vehicle with a powertrain, the convenience of home charging, or a good conscience of lessening your carbon footprint, considering safety is vital. Cars are indeed safer than they were ever before. However, some electric vehicles are the safest. 

In this article, we will tell you about the safest electric cars. Also, we will discuss in detail some of those cars below. These cars are on the safety cars list after getting the safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Plus, these are ANCAP rated electric vehicles. Also, they have received ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). 

Safest Electric Cars of 2023 Methodologies 

While assessing the safety of electric cars, it is important to consider both their listed crash safety rating and four important safety features. Every dimension written in the definition section is provided with a particular weight. We only check vehicles that NHTSA has assessed. Also, these evaluations are limited to 2023 and 2024 models. Now, let’s look at the safest electric cars of 2023.

Polestar 2

Polestar is one of the relative newcomers to electric cars. However, they have already built a reputation for providing the best styles, comfort, and safety. The NHTSA has given a full 5-star rating to Polestar 2. It has all the best safety features, for instance, lane-keeping assistance, automated post-impact braking, pedestrian and cyclist detection, and adaptive cruise control. 

Polestar 2 also has standard safety features, which include a good range of driver-assistance features. Some examples of these features are Driver Alert Control, which lessens the risk of distracted driving, and a cloud-based system. The cloud-based system informs drivers of the condition of the road. The Polestar 2 is a full set of features that makes it an electric vehicle that is comfortable, safe, and adaptable to various driving environments. This is why Polestar is among the safest electric cars on the list.

Kia Niro

The Kia Niro is a packed SUV that appreciates its safety and practicality. The Kia Niro has a full 5-star ANCAP rating. As per the ANCAP, the Kia Niro got the maximum points for front-row occupants in the oblique pole and side-impact tests. Moreover, this car scored top marks in the upper and lower leg impact assessment for pedestrians. Also, the Niro can actively avoid or mitigate a crash with other vehicles in turning scenarios. The Kia Niro has the best tech features, like lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and forward collision warning for utmost peace of mind. Furthermore, this car also gives an impressive electric range of up to 460km. This range makes it an outstanding option for long-distance family outings.

Tesla Model Y

There is a reason why Tesla Model Y safety features are exceptional. As per ANCAP’s record braking scores with a low center of gravity, rigid structure, and impact protection, the Tesla Model Y is one of the safest electric vehicles in the car market. This mid-size crossover SUV impressed all of the four ANCAP’s assessment pillars. It achieved a record-breaking score of 98% in the safety test pillar. Also, the Tesla Model Y scored the highest Adult Occupant Protection score up till now against the latest rating criteria(2020-2022), which was 97%. Other than these, the onboard safety features on the 514 km range Tesla Model Y include the right cameras for 360 degrees of visibility, advanced airbags, and Tesla‘s cutting-edge Autopilot suite for functional technology features. 

Mercedes-Benz EQS

Mercedes Benz is one of the safest electric vehicles 2024. It is a newcomer to the Australian electric car market. The Mercedes-Benz luxury sedan variant won a five-star rating from ANCAP in 2023. The sleek and classy vehicle got maximum points for safeguarding child occupants’ frontal offset. It also attains maximum points for the side impact and restraint induction test involving a range of common child restraints. The highest marks in these domains make the Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan a promising family car. Moreover, EQS also earned full points for adult occupant protection in the oblique pole test and side impact. Mercedes-Benz EQS safety highlights contain an Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC system. This system can control distance, speed, and AIRMATIC suspension for effortlessly driving on difficult grounds. 

MG4 Electric

The MG4 Electrix did well in all aspects of the ANCAP safety evaluation and won five-star ratings. This car got the maximum points for its protection of adult occupants in the oblique pole and side-impact tests. Besides, mixed results were seen in the frontal offset and full-width frontal tests. Onboard the MF Pilot system of the car gives a wide range of safety and tech aids. These aids include ten active driver safety features that continuously sense close areas and search for unseen dangers. Besides, MG4 Electric has an outstanding range of up to 530 km for a small vehicle.

The Basis of Safety Ratings for Electric Vehicles 

You must be wondering about the basis of rating electric vehicles regarding safety and how they are declared the safest electric cars. Here, we will tell you the elements on which the current NHTSA five-star rating is based. These elements are the following:

• Front crash safety
• Side crash safety
• Rollover safety and protection.

Moreover, if you are interested in electric car safety, the IIHS is a non-government entity that does independent safety assessments for vehicles sold in Canada and the the US. Now, let’s move on to the two areas on which the car evaluations are based:

• Crash avoidance
• Crashworthiness.

The IIHS assesses side and front crashes, head restraints, seats, roof strength, and rear-end crashes to make a final decision. When you look at IIHS’s five-star safety rating EVs, you can better understand how effectively they safeguard during a crash. Also, it clarifies how the vehicle’s technology can help lessen the severity of collisions.

Electric Vehicle Safety Testing Overview

Below, we have made a simplified tabular presentation showing how electric vehicles are generally tested for safety ratings. These are some main areas where electric vehicles are assessed to ensure their safety ratings. Each test is made to evaluate different elements of the performance of electric vehicles.

Test Type	Description
Crash Tests	Conducted to evaluate vehicle crashworthiness
	– Frontal Impact
	– Side Impact
	– Rollover
Battery Safety	Assessing risks related to battery fires and explosions
	– Thermal Runaway Testing
	– Crash Testing with Battery Integrity Assessment
	– Battery Fire Propagation Testing
Electrical Safety	Evaluating risks associated with high-voltage systems
	– Insulation Integrity Testing
	– High Voltage System Integrity Testing
	– Electrical Component Safety
Active Safety Features	Testing effectiveness of driver-assistance systems
	– Automatic Emergency Braking
	– Lane-Keeping Assistance
	– Blind Spot Detection
	– Adaptive Cruise Control
	– Collision Avoidance Systems

Conclusion 

Electric vehicles have become increasingly popular in the past few years. The prime reason for this is the increased concern for making eco-friendly cars. Another reason is the increased desire for sustainable transportation. With the advancement in designs and technology development, electric vehicles are now safer than ever before. 

In the US, the NHTSA takes a crash assessment on every new vehicle, including electric vehicles. It does this to examine their safety performance. The NHTSA tests multiple tests, which include side, front, and rollover crash tests, and assigns a general safety rating out of 5 stars to all vehicles. Above, we have discussed the safest electric cars currently, according to the ratings of NHTSA and ANCAP. If you are considering getting an electric vehicle, check its safety rating before purchasing. 

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