BMW i3 EV only scores 4 stars in Euro NCAP test

BMW’s first electric car – the BMW i3 EV – has scored a disappointing four stars in the latest round of Euro NCAP tests.

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The new BMW i3 is selling well and looks to be a good buy if you do lots of driving in congested urban environments.

It offers a decent amount of proper BMW goodness and probably has enough range – even without the optional range-extender engine – to cover most urban drivers’ daily needs.

But it seems there is one area the i3 doesn’t come up trumps and that’s for safety – in particular pedestrian safety – scoring a disappointing four stars in the latest round of Euro NCAP testing.

To be fair to the i3, its safety for those in the car is pretty good – with scores of 81 and 86 per cent for adult and child safety and maximum points in the side barrier test – although it didn’t do so well in the side pole test.

But NCAP did find fault with the level of protection the i3 offers for pedestrians, and although the front bumper scored maximum points for pedestrian leg injuries, the problems come when the pedestrian ends up on the bonnet.

NCAP declared that the front edge of the bonnet was poor – and scored no points – and although the bonnet provided adequate protection to the pedestrian’s head, the base of the windscreen and stiff windscreen pillars scored poorly.

BMW are a victim of Euro NCAP’s more stringent tests for pedestrian safety – announced in 2012 – but other cars tested since then, including the Peugeot 308 and Mazda3 in the latest round of testing, scored the maximum five stars.

BMW won’t be overjoyed that their new EV failed to grab five stars.