EVs Undergo Crash Tests With Mixed Results
IIHS finds most generally offer good protection while others have a ways to go on back-seat safety. Headlights are a dim feature for the group.
Most of the tested EVs, including the Volkswagen ID.Buzz, offer good back-seat passenger protection, IIHS found, though two models showed heightened injury risks.
Volkswagen
Crash tests of seven electric vehicles found most meet high road safety thresholds, though two lacked on back-seat passenger protection.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing included both front- and back-seat crash results. IIHS added back-seat criteria in 2022, and while most of today’s models provide good front-seat protection, it says back-seat safety has a ways to go for many.
In this testing round, it evaluated 2025 versions of the BMW i4 compact car, the electric Chevrolet Blazer, the Ford F-150 Lightning truck, the Nissan Ariya compact crossover SUV, Tesla’s Cybertruck and Model 3, and the Volkswagen ID.Buzz minivan.
All but the Ariya and the Lightning provide “excellent” driver protection and good back-seat passenger protection, though the Model 3 test showed slightly elevated risk of back-seat passenger chest injury.
The Ariya and Lightning, rated marginal and poor, respectively, also provide good driver protection but have much room for improvement in back-seat safety, according to the test results. The Lightning tests found high risk of head, neck and chest injury in the back seat, in addition to increased risk of internal injury, while the Ariya results showed high risk of back-seat chest injury.
None of the seven EVs earned good headlight ratings, though five of them garnered “acceptable” safety levels. The Cybertruck and the i4 headlights didn’t pass muster, either because of excessive glare or inadequate illumination.
DIG DEEPER: Child Seats Easier to Install in Some Cars
More Industry
Dealer Debrief: New-Vehicle Sales Update
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses the state of new-vehicle sales.
Read More →
Color Your Ride
The first vehicles by startup automaker Slate will come with the option of a medley of wraps in five colors familiar from your childhood.
Read More →
China Leads Global EV Sales
Globally, electric-vehicle sales are continuing their upward trajectory, buoyed by Chinese exports, as the North American region continues to lag behind.
Read More →
How Defection Data is Bridging the Dealership Conversion Gap
Lead volume is flat, cross-shopping is up and brand loyalty is in retreat. As confident sales teams keep losing buyers they thought they had, daily industry sales data is showing dealers exactly where their funnel is breaking and how to fix it without buying a single new lead.
Read More →
Optimized Charging Could Reduce Costs
According to an Alliance for Automotive Innovation analysis, optimized EV charging could cut costs for drivers and improve grid infrastructure - potential adoption incentives.
Read More →
June Automotive Boon?
A forecast for this month’s new-vehicle sales tells a familiar 2026 story: Year-over-year comparisons must be made in light of last year’s aberrations.
Read More →
Safety Improvements Save Lives
Over the past 30 years, automakers have made many safety tweaks to their vehicles. An insurance industry testing group says that's largely thanks to its crash-worthiness program and that prevented fatalities are the clear result.
Read More →
Indiana Dealership Changes Hands
The Chicago-area CDJR store has been in business for nearly 70 years and is now part of a fast-growing automotive group spread across six states.
Read More →
Survey Shows What Technicians Want
Data gathered by the ASE Training Managers Council shows that service technicians prefer classroom or instructor-led training and hands-on lab work over online or self-led training.
Read More →
Holman Opens New Lexus Dealership
Located in the heart of Clark County, Lexus of Vancouver features a multi-level showroom, more than 30 service bays, an indoor drive for drop-off and pick-up and a fleet of courtesy vehicles.
Read More →