Updated Euro NCAP protocol to target post-crash safety of EV batteries
Euro NCAP is set to make major changes to how it evaluates the safety of new cars to “better represent modern driving conditions and address the road hazards faced by today’s drivers, passengers and other road users”.
The update, the largest revision since the introduction of the overall rating system in 2009, will go into effect in 2026.
According to Euro NCAP, it features an overhaul of vehicle testing and scoring procedures, along with “a new rating methodology built around four key stages of safety: safe driving, crash avoidance, crash protection, and post-crash safety”.
On the latter point, Euro NCAP said electric vehicles must be able to communicate battery-fire risk to the driver after a crash and issue a warning in a timely manner, if a battery fire begins during charging or after a crash.
New post-crash requirements will also require electrically powered exterior door handles to stay functional for easier rescue and mandate proper high-voltage battery isolation in electric vehicles, among other updates to help first responders.
Further, Euro NCAP plans to place greater emphasis on driver monitoring technologies, with points awarded for advanced systems that monitor driver performance in real time.
For the first time, verification of speed-limit information accuracy will be conducted during on-road driving tests.
The updated protocols will introduce “a more rigorous approach to crash-prevention system testing”, covering technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support systems. Euro NCAP will also expand the scenarios to reflect real-world accident patterns, including urban situations where vehicles routinely encounter powered two wheelers, cyclists and pedestrians.
Euro NCAP said it will place a renewed focus on passive protection. From 2026, frontal crash testing will consider a wider range of driver and passenger body types, including older occupants and children, supported by sled testing and advanced virtual simulations.
Evaluation of side impact protection will include near-side barrier, pole, and far-side sled testing, also supported by advanced virtual simulations. There will be “increased scrutiny” of pedestrian-injury risk – particularly in structural areas around the windscreen.
From 2026, each of the four stages of safety will be scored out of 100 points and expressed as a percentage. Minimum thresholds continue to apply for each stage and will determine the overall star rating.
The test protocols will consequently be updated every three years.
Dr. Michiel van Ratingen, secretary general of Euro NCAP, said the intended outcome of the updated protocols is “improved protection for vehicle occupants and all road users through more effective driver assistance, robust accident prevention, enhanced crash protection, and improved post-crash management”.