Is safety holding back electric cars? Hyundai urges rethink on safety ratings to help get more Australians into affordable EVs such as the Hyundai Kona Electric

Hyundai has called on the Australian Government to open its fleets to cars rated four-stars by ANCAP, believing it will help drive the market for more affordable, second hand electric cars in the future.

Included as part of its New Vehicle Emissions Standards proposal to the Federal Government, Hyundai Australia took aim at ANCAP’s focus on five-star ratings and negative view of anything less than its maximum score. The car maker said the cost and complexity in achieving the five-star rating is increasing with each new crash testing protocol introduced by ANCAP and its parent organisation, EuroNCAP.

“As the requirements and costs involved in achieving a five-star safety rating advance rapidly, we request close consideration of ANCAP’s ‘five stars or nothing’ approach to vehicle safety and associated laws, especially for EVs in government fleets,” the submission reads.

“A four-star rated car today represents a higher level of safety than a five-star car of just a few years ago.”

Crucially, though, Hyundai made the point that ANCAP and EuroNCAP have a very different perspective on the meaning of a four-star rating, with the local testing authority using more negative language in its description of the same result in Europe.

Hyundai’s submission reads: “ANCAP takes the majority of its test results from EuroNCAP. Australian tests are carried out using an identical method. However, the definition of a four-star rated vehicle is markedly different in each region.”

Hyundai wants ANCAP to change its ‘five stars or nothing’ approach.

ANCAP’s public definition of a four-star score is labelled: “Provides an adequate level of safety performance yet fell short in one or more key assessment areas. May present a higher injury risk to occupants and/or other road users in certain scenarios or have a reduced ability to avoid a crash.”

In stark contrast, EuroNCAP is more positive and briefer in its explanation of the same results: “Overall good performance in crash protection and all round; additional crash avoidance technology may be present.”

A four star rating excludes cars from being eligible for government fleets.

ANCAP chief Carla Hoorweg admitted to CarsGuide in 2022 that the ANCAP safety rating process is “complex”, particularly the regularly changing testing protocols, which is why the organisation has introduced expiration dates for its crash tests, leaving some cars ‘unrated’ having previously scored five-stars.

ANCAP has taken a clear stance that it actively encourages all manufacturers to offer the highest level of safety possible and has repeatedly criticised car makers for falling short of five stars.

Active driver aids are a big part of getting a five star rating.

Hyundai is calling on the government to consider changing its long-held stance of only using five-star rated models on its fleets. It wants to allow four-star options, such as its own Kona Electric, to be bought and used by governments as it would potentially lead to more affordable used EVs on the market for private buyers in the future.

“We recommend that the Australian Government considers the relaxation of ‘five stars of nothing’ laws and set a practicable example by allowing the inclusion of four-star vehicles (including EVs) into its fleets. This would be effective in introducing smaller, more affordable EVs into the used car market,” Hyundai stated.