Tesla, Nio and Renault Earn Top Marks from Green NCAP

© Reuters.

By Michael Elkins

The Green National Car Assessment Program (Green NCAP) released a new set of results on Monday focused on three vehicles during this latest round — the Tesla Model 3, NIO eT7 and Renault Megane E-Tech. All three vehicles received an impressive five stars under the Green NCAP sustainable rating scheme, achieving nearly maximum scores due to the high energy efficiency of their electric powertrains, far exceeding the ratings of conventional cars.

The Tesla Model 3, with a battery capacity of 60 kWh, single motor, rear-wheel drive and a power of 208 kW is the smallest vehicle of the Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) range and the brand’s first model to be tested by Green NCAP. The Model 3 achieved high energy efficiency in both cold and warm tests and in the Highway Test, which sees cars subjected to higher speeds. Green NCAP said that the Tesla’s small frontal area and aerodynamic shape helped with its efficiency, though in a test cycle at colder temperatures did show that when the cabin heating, comfort and battery protection management was activated, consumption shot up by 72 percent.

Dr. Michiel van Ratingen, secretary general of Euro NCAP and Green NCAP, said: “This latest round of Green NCAP testing clearly proves that electric vehicles are an excellent consumer choice in the quest for ensuring a cleaner and more sustainable environment. They score far higher than those with conventional powertrains. However, affordability is still a challenge. We call on manufacturers to further improve the efficiency of cabin heating in winter conditions, as this is shown to have a significant impact on driving range.”

Nio’s (NYSE:NIO) eT7 also did very well on the tests. The car comes with two motors and all-wheel drive, a formidable power output of 480 kW and a huge 100 kWh battery. But this all adds weight, and the NIO tips the scales at 2.4 tons. despite its high mass the eT7 demonstrates high overall efficiency. However, under cold winter conditions, just like the Tesla, the consumption is increased by 72% and this results in an expected driving range of about 340 km.

Green NCAP tested the Renault (EPA:RENA) Megane E-Tech EV60 with a battery capacity of 60 kWh, single motor, and front wheel drive. The results of the performed short urban trip are noteworthy as the vehicle used just 11.8 kWh/100 km. In the -7°C laboratory test, the vehicle’s consumption increased by 78% compared to the standard test and with 30 kWh/100 km finds itself between the measured values of the other two tested cars. The Renault Megane E-Tech collects 9.6 out of 10 points in the Weighted Overall Index and 5 Green stars.

Shares of TSLA and NIO are up 0.78% and 2.83% respectively in pre-market trading on Monday.