Hyundai Ioniq, BMW i3 get five-star rating in Green NCAP test

Green NCAP is a unique new consortium, comprising European governments, motoring clubs, consumer groups and universities, hosted and supported by the European New Car Assessment Programme. It aims to promote cars that are less polluting and more fuel- and energy-efficient by providing consumers with independent information about cars’ performance in tests that go well beyond legislative requirements to uncover the differences between manufacturers’ emissions-control strategies.

The VW up! GTI got a creditable four star, while the BMW’s X1 2.0d and the Mercedes-Benz A200 have both been awarded three stars. The the Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost is rated as two stars in its latest guise, and a one-star rating has been given to the Audi A7 50 TDI, the Volvo XC40 T5 and the Subaru Outback 2.5.  Three cars – the VW Golf 1.6TDI, the FIAT Panda 1.0 and the previous level Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost - got zero-star ratings.  All three of the zero-star cars are approved to Euro 6b emissions standards, still valid for models introduced before September 2017.  However, from September 2019, all cars will have to meet the tougher standards of Euro 6d-temp and updated versions of these cars will be rated in the next round of tests.

With members and independent test laboratories in 8 European countries, Green NCAP is an ambitious project which will motivate car manufacturers to develop cars that make the most efficient use of the energy they use and to minimise the pollutant and greenhouse gases they emit.  It will provide clarity to consumers in a field awash with confusing information and city-imposed driving restrictions.  For now, Green NCAP considers only the energy used while driving (‘tank to wheel’), but in time, well-to-wheel and ultimately the whole life-cycle will be considered, including the energy used to produce the vehicle, the energy it consumes in its lifetime and the energy needed to scrap and recycle its parts.