BYD Atto 3 EV gets five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating

The BYD Atto 3, which was unveiled in India yesterday, has achieved a strong five-star crash testing rating in the latest round of Euro NCAP tests.

The Atto 3, known as the Yuan Plus in China, scored well in each of the four key areas of assessment with New Zealand variants achieving a five-star ANCAP/Euro NCAP safety rating. 

Full scores were achieved for protection provided to the driver in the side impact and far-side impact tests.  Whiplash protection for front and rear seat occupants also scored well, and maximum points were achieved for the protection of child occupants in the side impact and frontal offset crash tests. 

The active safety capability of the Atto 3 was shown to be of a high standard, with the standard-fit pedestrian and cyclist-detecting autonomous emergency braking system offering good levels of performance in forward, reverse, daytime and night-time test scenarios.

In its tester’s notes, Euro NCAP said: “The passenger compartment of the Atto 3 remained stable in the frontal offset test. Dummy numbers demonstrated good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger. BYD showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions.

“Analysis of the deceleration of the impact trolley during the test, and analysis of the deformable barrier after the test, revealed that the Atto 3 would be a moderately benign impact partner in a frontal collision. In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection of all critical body areas was good or adequate, for the dummies in the driver and rear passenger seats. In the side barrier test, protection of all critical body areas was good and the car scored maximum points. However, in the more severe side pole impact, protection of the chest was rated as weak, based measured values of rib compression.

"Control of excursion (the extent to which a body is thrown to the other side of the vehicle when it is hit from the far side) was found to be adequate. The Atto 3 has a counter-measure to mitigate against occupant-to-occupant injuries in such impacts. The system performed well in Euro NCAP’s test, with good protection of occupants’ heads. Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision. A geometric analysis of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection. The Atto 3 has an advanced eCall system which alerts the emergency services in the event of a crash. The car also has a system which applies the brakes after an impact to avoid secondary collision.”

"The Atto 3’s autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system performed well in tests of its reaction to other vehicles. A seatbelt reminder system is fitted as standard to the front and rear seats but the car has no system to detect driver fatigue. The lane support system gently corrects the vehicle’s path if it is drifting out of lane, and also intervenes in some more critical situations. The speed assistance system detects the local speed limit and the driver can choose to allow the maximum speed of the car to be automatically set by the system."

Images: ANCAP

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