Polestar 2 gets five ANCAP stars

POLESTAR has scored full marks for its Polestar 2 electric car in the latest round on ANCAP safety testing. 

The five-star result applies to all variants (single- and dual-motor) of the Polestar 2 range, ANCAP praising the model’s comprehensive range of active crash avoidance technologies and performance in frontal and side impact collisions.

ANCAP said the Polestar 2 achieved high scores in all crash tests with full points awarded for adult and child occupants in the side impact test. Good scores were also recorded in far-side impact tests and for occupant-to-occupant interaction.

The model was, however, penalised for vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility as it was shown to provide a high risk of injury to occupants of a collision partner vehicle when struck.

“Today’s consumers are looking to purchase vehicles with top safety and environmental credentials. The well-rounded Polestar 2 ticks these boxes and adds to the suite of five-star rated EVs now available to Australasian consumers,” ANCAP Chief Executive Officer, Carla Hoorweg said.

“ANCAP safety ratings are designed to encourage vehicles to provide good protection to vehicle occupants and other road users, and the Polestar 2 has performed well across all areas of assessment.”

The Polestar 2 also scored well in the assessment area of Vulnerable Road User (VRU) Protection, achieving a score of 80 per cent. With an active bonnet, the Polestar 2 provides increased protection to struck pedestrians, and its autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system is also effective in reacting to pedestrians and cyclists. 

However, ANCAP noted that the AEB system does not react to pedestrians when the vehicle is in reverse and AEB back-over tests were not conducted.

The Polestar 2 is fitted with lane support systems (LSS), including emergency lane keeping and lake keep assist, with good results recorded. ANCAP says active lane support systems have been shown to reduce head-on and single-vehicle crashes by approximately 30 per cent.

The Polestar 2 is the fifth battery electric vehicle (BEV) to be tested against ANCAP’s more stringent 2020-2022 criteria, adding to a total of 43 BEV, plug-in hybrid electric, hybrid and hydrogen powered vehicles rated by ANCAP to date. 

Five-star rated battery electric vehicles listed in ANCAP’s 2020-2022 results include the BMW iX and Hyundai IONIQ 5 (rated five stars in 2021), and Mazda MX-30 and Toyota Mirai (rated five stars in 2020).