Chery crash test: what happened when two cars hit an electric car at 60km/h?

Chinese manufacturer Chery decided to show "who is the father of safety" with a spectacular crash test. For this purpose, the company used a simulated accident involving two Exeed Sterra ES, moving towards each other at a speed of 60 km/h. In between was a static Exeed Sterra ES that was standing still to make a U-turn.

Here's What We Know

The experiment took place in Tianjin, China, and was supported by the China Automotive Technology and Research Centre (CATARC). Chery claims to have chosen production cars for the test.

The essence of the test: in the scenario, a red Exeed Sterra ES stands still to perform a U-turn. Two other white electric cars at 60 km/h crash into it simultaneously from both sides - one from the front right at an angle of 30 degrees, the second - in the left rear door.

Crash test results

Despite the enormous energy of the impact (the collision forces exceeded 35 tonnes), the Exeed Sterra ES's structure seems to have withstood the impact. The seven airbags deployed, the doors automatically unlocked, the emergency call system was activated and the dummies did not suffer life-threatening injuries. The high-voltage system switched off as intended in case of accidents, and the battery showed no signs of leakage or fire.

The experiment looks convincing, but there are nuances. The tests were conducted by the manufacturer itself, i.e. a stakeholder, and not by independent agencies such as EuroNCAP. In addition, in reality, cars rarely stand still when they are rammed at full throttle, which affects the distribution of impact energy. However, it can be stated that the show was spectacular.

Source: Carscoops