Green NCAP launched in 2019 as a consumer programme to promote greener cars. It combines accurate measurements from laboratory testing with relevant real-world driving tests to provide a league table of energy-efficient cars.
In a format similar to the Euro NCAP safety rating, the cars are given an overall star rating out of five. The star rating indicates how well the car has performed overall. Five for ‘excellent’, four for ‘good’, three for ‘average’, two for ‘nominal’, one for ‘marginal’, and zero for ‘minimum’.
Cars are also analysed for their pollutant emissions, energy efficiency and greenhouse gases.
Today, Green NCAP has published the results for 24 cars. Only the Hyundai Kona Electric and Renault Zoe have achieved a five-star rating, with with the electric cars achieving top marks across the three individual categories. The Toyota C-HR is the only other car to achieve higher than three stars, with Green NCAP awarding it a 3.5-star rating.
At the opposite end of the table, the Volkswagen Transporter, Mercedes-Benz V-Class, Kia Sportage and Opel/Vauxhall Zafira can only manage a 1.5-star rating. Green NCAP blames weight and poor aerodynamics for the lowly ratings, but points out that they control emissions well.
‘Revealing and disheartening’
Niels Jacobsen CEO of international consumer research and testing and president of Euro NCAP, said: “Green NCAP’s rating scheme has been comprehensively overhauled and now also includes an evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions as well as clean air and energy efficiency.
“As we measure only tailpipe emissions, electric cars naturally come out best in this round of assessments. However, Green NCAP will continue to evolve and we plan to include well to wheel emission measures and, ultimately, life-cycle analysis as a baseline for future ratings.
“With our current ratings, hybrid cars have obvious opportunities to score better than non-hybrids, but they don’t always do that as manufacturers may decide to reduce costs by omitting simple but effective exhaust after-treatment devices such as particulate filters.
“Such lost opportunities are revealing and disheartening. Among combustion engine cars, the best performers are smaller cars, mounted with effective exhaust after-treatment where hybrid technology can give them an extra notch up in the ratings.”
Green NCAP results: November 2020
- Hyundai Kona Electric: 5 stars
- Renault Zoe: 5 stars
- Toyota C-HR: 3.5 stars
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class: 3 stars
- Peugeot 2008: 3 stars
- Peugeot 208: 3 stars
- Renault Captur: 3 stars
- Renault Clio: 3 stars
- Seat Ibiza: 3 stars
- Volkswagen Polo: 3 stars
- BMW 3 Series: 2.5 stars
- Dacia Duster: 2.5 stars
- Honda CR-V: 2.5 stars
- Nissan Qashqai: 2.5 stars
- Peugeot 3008: 2.5 stars
- Suzuki Vitara: 2.5 stars
- Volkswagen Passat: 2.5 stars
- Audi A4: 2 stars
- Jeep Renegade: 2 stars
- Mazda CX-5: 2 stars
- Kia Sportage: 1.5 stars
- Mercedes-Benz V-Class: 1.5 stars
- Opel/Vauxhall Zafira: 1.5 stars
- Volkswagen Transporter: 1.5 stars
No plug-in hybrids are included in November’s results, but the first will be included in the next round, expected in February 2021. For electric car news and advice, visit our sister site, Motoring Electric.
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