Euro NCAP this year updated its safety testing protocol to include new child presence detection systems, specifications for vehicle submergence plus technology which responds to motorcyclists and vulnerable road users.

The first vehicles to achieve five stars were the Nio ET5 and EL7 which are not widely available.

Both vehicles displayed good levels of passive safety with good protection offered for the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger as well as occupants of different sizes sitting in different seats.

Active safety tests introduced in 2023 are car-to-motorcycle, car-to-car crossing, car-to-car head-on, dooring, and driver state monitoring.

"The lack of performance in some of the most challenging scenarios strongly suggests there is still room for improvement and 2023 scenarios leave the bar high for the upcoming period," E-NCAP said.

Nio showed, if either of its vehicles enter water, the doors, and windows would remain functional long enough to allow the occupants to escape.

Nio is one of the first manufacturers on the market to mount an ultra-long-range lidar sensor on the roof of both cars.

This will be used to deliver automated driving in the future, but today brings benefits to the collision avoidance capability, helping the cars to achieve a high safety assist score.

The distinctive sensor is mounted above the windscreen in what the automaker calls the watch tower position which enables the sensor to operate over a long range, aiding performance at high speed by offering a better view of the road ahead.