Ranked as the top seller among PHEVs in France in October 2021 and among the top three EVs in Europe for the first 10 months of 2021, French automaker Renault’s Zoe has been not only well received, but also a bestseller since its release. However, despite its popularity, Zoe has also brought some discomfiture to the automaker, as Zoe has received a zero-star safety rating from Europe’s NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme), in stark contrast to the selfsame automaker’s Laguna, which received the first ever five-star rating from NCAP earlier this year.
For the first 10 months of 2021, the three top selling EVs in Europe were, in order, Tesla’s Model 3, Volkswagen’s ID.3, and the Renault Zoe. However, the NCAP delivered a considerable slap in the face to Renault by giving Zoe a zero star rating. Furthermore, Renault’s Romania-based subsidiary Dacia similarly received a one-star rating for its Spring EV.
The NCAP showed severe disappointment towards Renault, as the automaker was the first to receive a five-star NCAP rating with its Laguna model in 2021. While the Renault brand was previously synonymous with safety, once it made the transition to EV manufacturing, Zoe and Spring performed poorly with regards to safety, thereby suggesting that Renault may have compromised on safety as it pursued the transition.
British insurance group Thatcham Research subsequently poured salt on Renault’s metaphorical wound by indicating that Zoe received a five star safety rating in 2013, representing a turn from hero to zero. The NCAP indicates that the latest Zoe model features side airbags that are the worst among all Zoe models.
Renault and Dacia, on the other hand, indicate that Zoe and Spring, respectively, are safe models that conform to all traffic safety regulations. The only strike against Spring was the fact that the model tested did not include optional specs for which consumers are unwilling to pay extra.
Given that it isn’t an official vehicle safety standard, NCAP does not bar vehicles that score low from being roadworthy. Even so, most consumers generally take NCAP scores into account when making purchasing decisions. Hence, automakers that score high tout their NCAP performances as a major selling point. Incidentally, since NCAP almost never doles out zero star ratings (the one Zoe received is the third ever in history), Renault’s zero stars might just be enough incentive for the automaker to either upgrade or release new models sooner than later.
Eleven vehicle models, excluding Tesla, received the latest round of NCAP testing, with many of these receiving five stars, such as BMW’s iX EV, Daimler-Benz’s EQS EV, Japan-made Qashqai SUV, and VW’s VW Caddy SUV.
(Image: © M 93 / Wikimedia Commons)