AUSTRALASIA’S NEXT ELECTRIC CAR ACHIEVES TOP SAFETY RATING

Australasia’s next electric-powered car, the Holden Volt, was among the top performers in today’s safety ratings announcement from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) for a range of small to medium vehicles.

Models which have been awarded ANCAP safety ratings in this latest round of results include:

The Holden Volt, officially launched in Australia this week, performed well across all tests and includes eight airbags (dual front, front side and curtain airbags as well as knee airbags for the driver and front passenger), intelligent seat belt reminders in all seating positions, lane departure warning and forward collision alert.

RAA Senior Manager Mobility and Automotive Policy Mark Borlace said the Volt is the second electric vehicle to be awarded ANCAP’s 5 star safety rating following the Nissan Leaf in 2011.

“As more electric vehicles enter the market, there’s no doubt consumers are interested to learn of any additional safety concerns regarding these vehicles when involved in a crash,” said Mr Borlace.

“Battery-powered vehicles present a different challenge to manufacturers when incorporating crash protection into their designs; however the crash protection provided by the Volt is on par with our traditionally-powered models,” he said.

Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) Acting Director Road Safety and Environment Paula Norman said the Volt is one of the safest choices for consumers.

“Additionally, it also has an innovative range-extending petrol generator making it an attractive green vehicle for non-urban areas,” said Ms Norman.

Audi’s Q3 medium SUV and the Renault Megane launched earlier this year also achieved the maximum 5 star ANCAP safety rating with the Q3 scoring an ‘Acceptable’ pedestrian protection rating; the Megane, ‘Marginal’. These 5 star ANCAP safety ratings apply to the front wheel drive diesel Q3 and diesel Megane variants.

ANCAP is supported by all Australian and New Zealand motoring clubs, the Australian Government, the New Zealand Government, Australian state and territory governments, the Victorian Transport Accident Commission, NRMA Insurance and the FIA Foundation.

For a full list of ANCAP safety ratings and model specifications, and vehicle safety information visit www.ancap.com.au. Crash test images and video can be downloaded from www.ancap.com.au/media.

Contact:          

RAA Media Line 8202 8111

DPTI – Media Line 1300 856 933