The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) has awarded the Nissan LEAF a five-star safety rating, making it the first ever 100% electric vehicle to achieve the distinction.

The battery-powered hatchback scored 89% for adult safety, 83% for child protection and an 84% rating for its on-board safety assist system. It also scored 65% for pedestrian safety, which is considered higher-than-average, due to its low nose design and comparative lack of ‘hard points' under the bonnet. The LEAF’s 48 lithium-ion batteries completely withstood all impacts from the front and side that form part of Euro NCAP’s standard testing procedures.

Euro NCAP’s Secretary General Michiel van Ratingen said: "Nissan LEAF proves that EVs can achieve the same safety levels as traditional cars. The standard is now set for the next generation of such cars on the European market."

Jerry Hardcastle, Nissan's vice president of vehicle design & development, only expected as much from the LEAF.

"We are not surprised by these results. Nissan LEAF has gone through more tests than any car we have ever produced. On top of the conventional offset barrier and side impact tests, we have tested the electrical system in every way to ensure it can never be overcharged and that the isolation programme works as intended in a crash," he said.

The LEAF adds this achievement to its growing list of accolades which include reigning European and World Car of the Year, and a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the US.