Volkswagen ID.3 small family electric hatch just scored a 5-star rating in the Euro NCAP safety and crash tests. VW ID.3 is now officially one of the safest mass-produced electric cars in the world. However, it still needs to go through the NHTSA safety tests in the United States but most probably it will score the same with the U.S. authority as well.
Although the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) awards an overall rating to a vehicle, it also segments how the car performed in four different areas — i.e. Adult Occupant, Child Occupant, Vulnerable Road Users, and the practicality of the car’s Safety Assist features (see report screenshot below).
Since VW ID.3 is a direct competitor of the Tesla Model 3, we will compare the key area scores of both cars so that the differences between the two get unblurred.
Source: Euro NCAP VW ID.3 crash safety report.
VW ID.3 vs. Tesla Model 3 Euro NCAP Safety Ratings Comparison
VOLKSWAGENT ID.3 | TESLA MODEL 3 | |
---|---|---|
ADULT OCCUPANT | 87% | 96% |
CHILD OCCUPANT | 89% | 86% |
VULNERABLE ROAD USERS | 71% | 74% |
SAFETY ASSIST SYSTEM | 88% | 94% |
Euro NCAP tested the Tesla Model 3 last year and we covered the entire report at the time as well. In 3 out of 4 areas, Tesla Model 3 has beaten the VW ID.3 in crash safety, especially in Safety Assist features, which is handled by Autopilot in Tesla cars.
Porsche Taycan besides its 5-Star Euro NCAP crash safety results also under-performed in various safety areas and safety assist features when compared to the Tesla Model 3.
If we look at the VW ID.3 crash safety results independently, the car has done a great job in this arena, and the German automaker should be appreciated for the outcome. Secretary-General of Euro NCAP, Michiel van Ratingen said in a statement:
The ID.3 represents the direction of travel for the car industry in recent years. The climate crisis means that we all must adapt to a cleaner future and electric cars will become the norm in the years to come. Euro NCAP will continue to ensure that saving the planet does not come at the cost of safety and I am glad to see that the ID.3 – the latest generation of the people’s car – does not compromise in this regard.
Euro NCAP press-release.
Euro NCAP’s official Twitter account also said that “ID.3 sets the tone for a safe and clean future”.
Euro NCAP also released the following video of the VW ID.3 crash safety tests at its facility in Europe. An interesting watch as the electric vehicle has a rigid battery pack installed in the floor, it protects the cabin of the car from penetrating deeper from the front, rear, and sides, an additional safety feature only seen in EVs.
Last month, when Tesla CEO Elon Musk visited Germany to check the progress on Gigafactory Berlin, he was invited by Volkswagen Chairman Herbert Diess to test-drive a VW ID.3 and he complied. Elon Musk did say that it’s a good city car but there was no chance he could test it for range or 0-60 performance.
Hope these efforts accelerate the electric vehicle revolution and major automakers other than Volkswagen also start realizing that the world is changing.
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