Chevrolet Volt And Nissan Leaf Earn Top Crash Test Ratings

The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf have earned a "good" rating, the highest safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), in the first-ever U.S. crash test evaluations of plug-in electric cars. The Institute is funded by auto insurers including State Farm, All-State, and Geico.

The top rating was given from IIHS for front, side, rear, and rollover crash protection. With standard electronic stability control, they qualify as winners of Top Safety Pick.The Volt and Leaf are the first mainstream electric cars the Institute has tested, IIHS stated. Last year, engineers put two low-speed electric vehicles through side barrier tests for research purposes.

The vehicles were engineered with a strong "crumple zone" between the bumper and windshield to maximize protection during a front collision. They also feature strong pillars between the front and rear doors to offer enhanced protection in the event of side crashes.

The ratings are based on a vehicle's structural performance, and injuries to crash-test dummies in the model being examined. Any damage to the other test vehicle, or its occupants, is not considered.

The IIHS said that, although the Volt and Leaf are classified as small cars due to their overall length, width, and passenger capacity, the additional weight of the battery packs puts each vehicle’s curb weight closer to midsize and larger cars. This additional weight makes these vehicles safer, the IIHS contends, as size, and weight influence crashworthiness.

With the addition of these vehicles, the IIHS will have awarded a total of 80 vehicles so far for 2011, including seven hybrid models.

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