Whether you’re interested in an electric vehicle for fuel efficiency and performance or to cut down on your environmental footprint, there’s one thing everyone can agree is important when car shopping: safety. Fortunately, decades of design experience and increasing interest have made each successive generation of EVs safer and more efficient than the last.
Below, you can take a closer look at a few of the safest electric cars 2023 has to offer.
Since it first hit the market in 2018, Audi’s e-Tron line has consistently ranked as one of the safest and most comfortable EVs on the road. The Q4 Sportback is no exception, with a safety rating of 4/5 stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with overall side protection at 5/5.
The e-Tron Sportback comes with Audi’s standard safety features, including blind spot monitoring, forward collision warning, rear-cross traffic alerts, automatic emergency braking, and more. Each of these is based around Audi’s safety design principle of maximizing visibility for the driver. Plus, if you upgrade to the Premium Plus or Chronos Edition trims, you can also look forward to lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control features.
Polestar is a relative newcomer to electric vehicles, but they’ve already established a reputation for comfort, style, and safety. The Polestar 2 has a full 5/5 rating from the NHTSA, with features like automated post-impact braking, lane-keeping assistance, pedestrian and cyclist detection, and adaptive cruise control.
On top of the standard safety features, the Polestar 2 comes with a range of driver-assistance functions. Examples include a cloud-based system to inform drivers of road conditions and Driver Alert Control to reduce the risk of distracted driving. The full set of features results in an EV, which is safe, comfortable, and adaptable to a wide range of driving environments.
Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 is an affordable electric SUV that also offers some of the highest safety ratings on the market. Not only does it have a 5/5 from the NHTSA, but it’s also the recipient of a Top Safety Pick+ Award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Given the stricter safety standards set by the IIHS, this means the Ioniq 5 is a leading contender for 2023’s safest electric car.
The vehicle comes with many of the top safety features found in other vehicles on this list, including lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and driver attention monitoring. The high-end limited edition comes with even more, like remote smart parking assist, reverse emergency braking, and a 360-degree camera system for maximum visibility.
Another entry on the expanding range of affordable EV options, the Niro Electric incorporates many of the safety lessons learned on Kia’s first EV, the EV6. With a full 5/5 rating from the NHTSA, the Niro Electric stands out in rollover and side crash protection.
It also comes equipped with plenty of valuable safety features, such as lane-keeping assist and departure warning, blind spot collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic collision prevention, forward collision warning, and adaptive cruise control. Drivers can also choose between “Wind” and “Wave” trim packages. The Wave trim level comes with Kia’s “Highway Drive Assist II” system, which uses machine learning technology to adapt to your driving style over time for increased comfort and additional safety in areas like speed control and following distance.
With both a 5/5 NHTSA rating and a 2023 Top Safety Pick+ Award from the IIHS, the Volkswagen ID.4 is among the safest electric cars available. Although the NHTSA only gives the ID.4 a 4/5 for rollover protection, that’s still a substantial improvement over comparable SUVs.
Like most new Volkswagen models, the ID.4 comes equipped with the IQ. Drive safety suite. Included are such safety features as adaptive cruise control, lane assist, blind spot monitoring, and emergency braking. Also included are useful features like a dynamic road sign display to help you stick to posted speed limits and follow no-overtaking signs.
Tesla’s Model 3, a testament to the company’s ongoing efforts to improve safety, might be the safest electric vehicle 2023 has to offer. Solid construction centered on a rigid, crash-resistant body and extensive safety engineering have earned the Model 3 a full 5/5 rating from the NHTSA, with 5/5 scores in rollover, frontal, and side crash protection. It’s also an IIHS 2023 Top Safety Pick+, in part due to the design and the placement of the battery pack under the floor, giving it a low center of gravity and exceptional stability on the road.
The Model 3 also comes standard with an advanced range of safety features, including adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic emergency braking. Also included is the Autopilot system, offering extras like semi-autonomous lane-keeping and parking assistance.
In this era of progress, where technology and safety intersect, these EVs have truly earned their spots as the safest electric cars in 2023. So, as you embark on your journey towards an electrified future, remember that your safety is paramount, and these six top picks are here to make that journey not only sustainable and efficient but also incredibly secure. Drive safe and drive electric!
Published August 22, 2023 1:53PM
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