Nissan LEAF earns five-star NCAP rating

The Nissan LEAF is the first 100% electric vehicle to receive the NHTSA's highest five-star crash rating.

The Nissan LEAF is the first 100% electric vehicle to receive a five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). The LEAF has also been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Nissan says this comes after NHTSA raises their standards for earning a five-star rating for the 2011 model year, further demonstrating the car's safety standards.

The Nissan LEAF's safety equipment list is rather lengthy, including front, side, and curtain airbags that can vary their deployment based on the passenger's weight and seating position, seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters for all passengers, and stability and traction control systems.

The Nissan LEAF crash test video by Consumer Reports is on YouTube and can be found here.