Dongfeng Box EV receives 3-star Euro NCAP rating

Undeniably, Chinese automotive manufacturers are aggressively offering electric vehicle packages at more competitive prices.

However, aside from more affordable pricing, safety aspects must also be prioritized.

In Europe, the small-sized electric hatchback Dongfeng Nammi Box has only achieved a three-star rating out of a possible five stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests.

In the latest tests conducted, Euro NCAP found that the EV had failures at several welding points, which could increase the risk of cabin deformation and compromise passenger protection.

This issue was detected during a partial overlap crash test, where the Dongfeng Box, traveling at a speed of 50 km/h, collided with a deformable barrier weighing 1,400 kg, also moving at 50 km/h.

In addition to an unstable body structure, the Dongfeng Box also had problems such as a locking mechanism that failed to operate post-impact, insufficient steering wheel airbag pressure to protect the driver’s head, and a dashboard structure that could cause injuries to the front passenger’s legs.

The Box was also reported to have failed in reducing the passenger-to-passenger impact in the front row in the event of a side-impact collision.

As a result, the Dongfeng Box achieved only 69 percent in the Adult Occupant Protection category and 67 percent in the Vulnerable Road Users category.

According to Euro NCAP, vehicle size is not a major issue, as several similarly sized electric vehicles tested previously have received four or five-star ratings.

“There are several affordable EVs such as the BYD Dolphin Surf, Firefly, MINI Cooper e, Lynk & Co 02, and Renault 4 and Renault 5 that have achieved four or five-star ratings, highlighting the safety gap between these EVs and the Dongfeng Box.”

“This failure must be addressed to align with competing models in the rapidly growing EV market,” Euro NCAP stated in a release.