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| Euro NCAP tests on Heavy Quadricycles What are Quadricycles? Quadricycles are sold as convenient, economical means of transport. They are road-legal and a full license may not be required to drive them. Technically classed as light quadricycles (L6e) or heavy quadricycles (L7e), these vehicles do not have to pass the stringent safety tests that apply to normal passenger cars. Nevertheless, many quadricycles look similar to small city cars like the smart fortwo and the Toyota iQ. Some car buyers may consider quadricycles as alternatives to such cars but others may buy them instead of a motorcycle. Light quadricycles are limited to 45km/h. Heavy quadricycles are not speed-limited and, while some have very low maximum speeds, others can reach speeds of 100km/h. Even vehicles with very low maximum speeds are categorised as L7e if their mass exceeds 350kg. About the tests Euro NCAP has tested four heavy quadricycles in front and side impact to get a picture of the safety of this category of vehicle. In the frontal test, the full width of the vehicle is impacted at 50km/h into a honeycomb element attached to a concrete block. On the road, if quadricycles are struck by other vehicles, the change of velocity or ‘severity’ of the collision can be much greater than the maximum speeds they themselves are capable of. In the side impact, a honeycomb barrier is driven at 50km/h into the side of the vehicle. Together, these tests represent the sorts of accidents that quadricycles might be involved in when driven on public roads (read the Heavy Quadricycles Test protocols). Quadricycles Test Results The scoring is based primarily on dummy numbers but penalties are given for poor performance of the structure or restraints. These tests are different from Euro NCAP’s normal procedures and, while the results of the quadricycles can be compared with one another, they can not be compared with the star ratings published by Euro NCAP for other passenger vehicles. Safety Concerns All of the quadricycles tested showed critical safety problems, although some fared better than others in the front or side impact test by Euro NCAP. The vehicles tested are type-approved and meet the minimal safety requirements set by European legislation for L7e heavy quadricycles. Consumers, however, should note that quadricycles in general offer a significantly lower level of occupant protection than is offered by cars. |
- Renault Twizy
- Tazzari Zero
- Club Car Villager
- Ligier IXO
Test results
Renault Twizy 80
All-electric, 2 seat heavy quadricycle
Films Detailed information (PDF)
Frontal
Side
7.0
points
of 16
Specifications
| Seats | 2 |
| Power source | Electric motor |
| Kerb weight | 474 kg |
| Maximum speed | 80 km/h |
| Driver airbag |
| Four point seatbelt (driver) |
| Three point seatbelt (passenger) |
Structure
The structure of the Twizy stood up well to the tests with little deformation in the front or side impacts. Rearward movement of the steering wheel was well controlled and it was apparent that the structure could cope with a more severe impact.
Restraints
The Twizy has an airbag and a four point seatbelt as standard. These worked correctly; the driver was well restrained in the frontal impact and protection of the head was good. However, owing to the very stiff structure and restraint systems, the dummy neck recorded dangerously high forces and protection of this part of the body was poor. The region in front of the driver’s knees contained a lot of hard structures. The dummy recorded high values for knee and femur loading and protection was poor. In the side impact, the head of the dummy was exposed outside the structure of the vehicle, increasing the risk of dangerous head contact in real-world accidents, and the score was penalised. Much of the force on the dummy was deflected to parts of the dummy which do not reflect a real body and protection of the chest area was penalised. Combined with dummy reading which were marginal, protection of the chest was rated as poor.
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Tazzari Zero
All-electric, 2 seat heavy quadricycle
Films Detailed information (PDF)
Frontal
Side
8.0
points
of 16
Specifications
| Seats | 2 |
| Power source | Electric motor |
| Kerb weight | 542 kg |
| Maximum speed | 100 km/h |
| Three point seatbelt |
Structure
In general, the structure of the Tazzari stood up well to the tests. However, when the vehicle was inspected, it was clear that the structure had reached its limit in the frontal test and would not be capable of withstanding a more severe impact. The battery pack is in two parts: front and rear. The front battery pack was pushed backwards into the footwell in the frontal test. Although the risk of injury to the lower legs was not assessed in these tests, such collapse of the footwell could be extremely hazardous in an accident. In the side impact, the driver’s door opened, increasing the risk that the driver might be ejected.
Restraints
No airbags are available on the Tazzari ZERO. The vehicle has a three point seatbelt but, in the frontal impact, this broke at the point where it is attached to the door pillar. The driver was effectively unrestrained and the dummy’s head hit the centre of the steering wheel with sufficient force for a high risk of fatal injury. Owing to the failure of the belt and the increased risk of injury to the whole body, the scoring for all parts of the body was downgraded. The driver’s seat and its connection to the vehicle floor were intact after the tests.
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Club Car Villager 2+2 LSV
All-electric, 4 seat heavy quadricycle
Films Detailed information (PDF)
Frontal
Side
9.0
points
of 16
Specifications
| Seats | 4 |
| Power source | Electric motor |
| Kerb weight | 541 kg |
| Maximum speed | 35 km/h |
| Three point seatbelts (front seats) |
| Lap belts (rearward facing rear seats) |
Structure
The maximum speed of the Club Car is 35km/h so the frontal impact represents a collision with another vehicle. In the frontal impact, the structure of the Club Car collapsed. The steering wheel moved rearwards by nearly half a metre. The dummy’s head hit the steering wheel and the values recorded indicated a very high risk of fatal injury. Values recorded in the neck were also dangerously high. The chest pressed against the steering wheel, taking most of the force of the dummy. As a result, there was relatively little force on the seatbelts and they, and their connection to the rear pillar, stayed intact during the impact. The seat base hinged forwards in the impact and this, combined with the intruding instrument panel, led to the tops of the dummy’s tibias striking the facia, leading to very high displacements in the knees. Protection of the knees and femurs was rated as poor. In the side impact, there was nothing to protect the dummy from the striking barrier. The driver’s seat became detached from the structure and moved sideways, together with the lower part of the test dummy.
Restraints
No airbags are available on the Villager 2+2 LSV. The seatbelts did not break or detach in the frontal test as most of the force was taken by the intruding steering wheel. In the side impact, the head of the dummy was exposed outside the structure of the vehicle, increasing the risk of dangerous head contact in real-world accidents, and the score was penalised.
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Ligier IXO JS LINE 4 Places
Petrol, 4 seat heavy quadricycle
Films Detailed information (PDF)
Frontal
Side
7.9
points
of 16
Specifications
| Seats | 4 |
| Power source | 505cm3 petrol |
| Kerb weight | 465 kg |
| Maximum speed | 70 km/h |
| Three point seatbelts (front and rear) |
Structure
The structure of the Ligier was badly deformed in the frontal test. The door pillar and the windscreen pillar were almost separated from one another. The fibreglass footwell area was badly fractured after the test and it was clear that the structure had reached its limit and would not be capable of withstanding a more severe impact. In the side impact, the driver’s door became detached from the car and the bootlid opened.
Restraints
No airbags are available on the Ligier IXO JS Line 4 Places. The vehicle has a three point seatbelt but, in the frontal impact, the upper connection of this belt to the door pillar pulled out of the structure. The dummy was effectively unrestrained from that point on and the scoring of all body regions was penalised owing to the increased risk of injury. The head contacted the steering wheel, which moved rearwards excessively in the test, and there was a high risk of fatal injury. The lap portion of the seatbelt is routed in such a way that it sits very high on the abdomen. In addition during the frontal test, the driver’s seat collapsed. As a result, the dummy was seen to ‘slip’ under the lap portion of the seatbelt, a dangerous phenomenon known as ‘submarining’ which can be extremely hazardous to the abdominal region. In the side impact, the bottom of the B-pillar broke and the driver’s seat was pushed sideways and became detached from the floor structure.
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Fonte:http://www.euroncap.com/results/quadricycles.aspx#quad1
