Renault’s zero-emissions Zoe scored zero stars in the latest round of European crash testing.
The electric subcompact becomes just the third car to ever flunk the Euro NCAP evaluation while the Dacia Spring electric SUV from Renault’s Romanian division received just one star.
The Zoe had previously earned a five-star rating in 2013 shortly after it was introduced to the market, but the testing regimen has changed in the years since.
The head of NCAP suggested that the push to produce electric cars may be having a negative effect on safety efforts.
“Renault was once synonymous with safety,” Euro NCAP secretary general Michiel van Ratingen said in a statement issued to Reuters. “But these disappointing results for the ZOE and the Dacia Spring show that safety has now become collateral damage in the group’s transition to electric cars.”
Renault responded by saying the Zoe is safe and met all regulatory safety standards.
“These standards are constantly evolving and are becoming more and more strict in all areas, especially in terms of security,” the company added. “Renault is therefore continually improving its offer in order to comply with the regulations applicable where its vehicles are sold.”‘
The Zoe is the third-best selling electric vehicle in Europe so far this year behind the Tesla Model 3 and VW ID.3, according to Statista, and has a starting price of approximately $26,000 in Renault’s home country of France.