Car safety evaluation body Euro NCAP has revealed the best-performing cars it crash tested in 2022, with electrified cars dominating, winning every single class. 

In particular, Tesla stood out as the organisation’s big winner in 2022, with two of its cars picking up awards. But some unfamiliar names from China notched up impressive results too. 

The Tesla Model S was rated not only the best executive saloon, but overall, the best-performing electric car on sale from a safety perspective.

Its continued reign as one of the very safest on sale according to Euro NCAP, retaining its five-star rating in its 2022 crash test assessment along the way, is testament to safety updates introduced throughout the car’s life. The Model S was facelifted in 2021, with a large number of engineering revisions under the new bodywork. But, alongside a 94% score for adult occupants and 91% for children, it’s the safety assistance technology that continues to impress, with an industry-wide high score of 98%.

The newer Model Y SUV also impressed, scoring a huge 97% for adult occupant safety and 98% again in the safety assistance technology categories. It recorded not just a full five-sar rating for 2022, but came out on top as the safest small SUV on sale, according to NCAP. The organisation made special mention of Tesla’s “huge impact” on the European car market with its technological approach to safety. 

Things are looking up for the new Ioniq 6, too taking the honour of being the best large family car tested by Euro NCAP. On sale in Britain now, first deliveries of the electric four-door coupe sibling for the impressive Ioniq 5 will begin soon. It was rated particularly highly for adult occupants, scoring a Model Y rivalling 97%. 

Two Chinese brands caught the eye with their crash-test performances, the funkily named and looking ORA Funky Cat winning out as 2022’s best small family car tested by Euro NCAP alongside the WEY Coffee 01 in the large SUV category. 

The Funky Cat is now on sale in Britain, and while we’ve found mainstream rivals offer more in the areas that matter to most small electric car buyers - namely, price and range - Euro NCAP’s blessings can’t really be disputed. Its strong level of standard safety assistance features meant it scored highly here, with a 93% rating that officials said “outperformed several familiar brands.”

The WEY Coffee 01 isn’t sold in Britain, but alongside the Funky Cat it’s one of two Chinese cars to win the praise of Europe’s car-safety assessors. Winning out by a hair’s breadth against the Lexus RX, it’s also the only combustion-powered car among the 2022 winners, using a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. 

Tesla's Model Y was also racked up the most new car registrations of any electric vehicle in the UK last year