ACI: Green NCAP. five stars for Chinese electrics
21.09.2023
Maximum score for BYD ATTO and ORA Funky Cat; 3 stars for Mercedes Benz E300d 4Matic diesel, Škoda Kamiq petrol and Dacia Jogger Hybrid; 2 stars for the Audi A6 50 TDI quattro diesel and 1 star for the petrol Ford Ranger Raptor
Seven cars tested by Green NCAP in the fourth test series of 2023. Maximum score for the two new Chinese electric cars, BYD and ORA, recently introduced on the European market. Green NCAP also publishes new results for vehicles with diesel and petrol engines produced by Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Škoda and Dacia, demonstrating that progress is still possible even with traditional engine technology. Last year, China’s BYD was the world’s best-selling brand of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, but it is still relatively little known in Europe.
The ATTO 3 is a compact SUV with a maximum power of 150 kW and a battery capacity of 60 kWh. The tests showed the car’s excellent energy consumption in low temperature conditions. The charging efficiency, from the mains to the vehicle battery, of 87%, is, however, average and could have been higher with an optimized charger and battery charging/discharging behavior. Overall, the BYD ATTO 3 is an excellent electric car, average score of 97% and 5 green stars.
The ORA Funky Cat, produced by Great Wall Motors, another fully electric Chinese compact family vehicle, has a maximum power of 126 kW and a battery capacity of 63 kWh. The efficiency from the grid to the battery is equal to 93.2%, a figure never previously recorded in the Green NCAP tests. This allows the car to lower its overall consumption values and therefore, with an average score of 97%, the ORA Funky Cat gets 5 green stars.
Green NCAP then tested the Mercedes Benz E300d 4Matic station wagon, equipped with a two-litre diesel engine which makes very good use of the efficiency of the engine supported by a 48V mild hybrid system. The high greenhouse gas emissions, however , are not enough for a result better than 1.9 out of 10. The Clean Air Index is excellent: 9.3 out of 10, the diesel E-Class becomes the least polluting combustion car that Green NCAP has tested so far. It gets an average score of 50% and 3 green stars.
The Audi A6 50 TDI quattro has a three-litre turbocharged diesel engine providing an output of 210 kW. The high mass makes it difficult to keep consumption and CO2 emissions low. The car’s performance in the Clean Air Index is impressive, demonstrating low particulate emissions and excellent overall control of other pollutants. Overall, the 50 TDI quattro achieves an average score of 37% and 2 green stars.
The Škoda Kamiq is a compact SUV with a one-litre turbo petrol engine. The energy efficiency index is 5.2, while it scores 3.8 (out of a maximum of 10) in the greenhouse gas index. Overall, the Škoda achieves an average score of 53% and 3 green stars.
The 2023 model of the Dacia Jogger Hybrid is equipped with a 1.6-liter naturally aspirated petrol engine. The car scores slightly above average in the Clean Air Index, where results could be improved by better control of particulates, CO2 and performance in cold weather conditions. Jogger has an average score of 51% and 3 green stars.
The Ford Ranger Raptor is a pick-up with a three-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, approved as a commercial vehicle and, therefore, does not have to meet the same stringent legislative requirements as a normal passenger car. Due to its high consumption and CO2 emissions, it does not receive points in the energy efficiency and greenhouse gas indices, while its performance in the Clean Air Index is mediocre: 3.5 out of 10. The Raptor has an average score of 11 % and only 1 green star.
“Some of the vehicles tested clearly demonstrate the results achieved by the industry in the search for cleaner and less harmful cars for the climate, even if still powered by conventional engines” – said – Aleksandar Damyanov, Green NCAP Technical Manager.