The final round of crash tests in 2022 from Latin NCAP included a Chinese vehicle touted as being "environmentally friendly but life risking." If the JAC E10x (aka EJS1 and E-S1) doesn't ring a bell, it's an electric hatchback sold by Sehol, a car brand launched in 2018 by a joint venture between SEAT and JAC Volkswagen Automotive. The EV was launched last year and has now been evaluated in the New Car Assessment Programme for Latin America.
While it's not the first electric car to receive a zero-star rating, Latin NCAP points out that the JAC didn't automatically cut off power following the impact in the frontal crash test. Equally worrying is the outcome in the subsequent side impact since the emergency cut-off still failed to work. Consequently, the EV's battery was still connected and running, even though the system indicated it was off.
JAC E10x crash test Latin NCAP
To make matters worse, excessive tire wear during the evaluation of the car's electronic stability control prompted Latin NCAP to stop the test. Worth pointing out is the fact there are still cars with only two airbags in this day and age. In addition, the ESC is only an optional feature while other safety systems we generally take for granted are not offered at all. These include autonomous emergency braking, lane assist, and speed assist.
The JAC E10x was tested for frontal impact, side impact, whiplash, and pedestrian protection. It scored 0.00 percent in Adult Occupant, 6.34 percent in Child Occupant, 20.25 percent in Pedestrian Protection and Vulnerable Road Users, and 6.98 percent in Safety Assist. Latin NCAP notes: "The model showed unstable structure and unstable footwell area in the frontal impact with poor protection to driver's chest, which means a high probability of life-threatening injuries leading to zero points in the frontal crash for adult safety."
In related news, Latin NCAP also tested the Kia Sportage and Mitsubishi Outlander, which both fared a lot better as the former received three stars while the latter earned the full five-star rating.
