EVs top ANCAP safety rankings for 2025
Electric vehicles aren’t just more cost effective to run than many internal-combustion powered models, it also turns out they are some of the safest cars on our roads.
That’s according to leading vehicle safety authority ANCAP Safety, which recently released its list of outstanding safety performers by vehicle category for 2025.
Each year, ANCAP identifies the strongest-performing vehicles based on a weighted sum of scores across pillars including Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection and Safety Assist systems.
Topping the list of vehicles setting the benchmark for safety in 2025 was the Tesla Model Y, which was Australia’s best-selling EV in 2025 and ANCAP’s highest ranked Medium SUV with the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.
It’s the second time the Model Y has taken the lead position in ANCAP’s safety rankings, with the pre-facelifted Model Y
awarded top-safety performer in 2022.
The updated 2025 Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed by ANCAP last year, recording strong performance across all areas of occupant protection and active safety technology.
Volvo's EX90 large SUV achieved high safety ratings.
Model Y stablemate the Tesla Model 3 also topped the table in the Medium Car segment, matching the Model Y in Child Occupant Protection and Vulnerable Road User categories, but narrowly conceding points in the Adult Occupant Protection and Safety Assist categories.
A safety story without a Volvo present would seem a little out of kilter and indeed the Volvo EX90, a large seven-seat fully electric SUV, claimed gold as best of the Large SUVs.
Other top performing battery-electric vehicles included the IM 5, a new luxury large car from MG’s parent company SAIC Motors, which was the best Large Car tested, and the MG S5 EV which was the best small SUV and the least expensive model to make the list. The best Light/Small Car category was claimed by another electric model, the Mini Cooper E.
Toyota’s extensively-updated ninth-generation HiLux ute was the only internal combustion powered model to make the list, beating all comers in the Utility segment.
“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist,” ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg said.
“The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.
“The breadth of top performers this year shows that high levels of safety are achievable across multiple vehicle segments, giving consumers clearer choices when safety is a priority.”
| Top Performer | Vehicle category | Adult Occupant Protection | Child Occupant Protection | Vulnerable Road User | Safety Assist |
| Tesla Model y | Medium SUV | 91% | 95% | 86% | 92% |
| Tesla Model 3 | Medium Car | 90% | 95% | 89% | 88% |
| Volvo EX90 | Large SUV | 92% | 94% | 82% | 84% |
| IM5 | Large Car | 89% | 91% | 85% | 79% |
| MGS5 EV | Small SUV | 90% | 86% | 82% | 79% |
| Mini Cooper E | Light/Small Car | 89% | 83% | 77% | 83% |
| Toyota Hilux | Utility | 84% | 89% | 82% | 82% |
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