Seoul: Electric vehicle (EV) models produced by South Korea’s Hyundai Motor and Kia have received top ratings in major global car crash safety tests, the automakers said on Sunday. 

According to the companies, five Hyundai and Kia EV models utilising the E-GMP, Hyundai Motor Group’s proprietary EV platform, achieved the highest rating of five stars in the European New Car Assessment Programme, reports Yonhap news agency.

The models are the Genesis GV60, Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, and Kia’s EV6 and EV9. The same models also received top-tier ratings in crash evaluations conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the United States.

The GV60, Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and EV6 were awarded the prestigious Top Safety Pick (TSP) Plus rating, while the EV9 earned the Top Safety Pick rating, indicating high levels of safety.

In last year’s IIHS crash evaluations, 20 Hyundai Motor Group vehicles achieved TSP or higher ratings, marking the highest number among global automotive groups. The recently launched Kia EV3, which also utilizes the E-GMP platform, has not yet undergone safety evaluations in Europe and the U.S.

“Hyundai Motor Group will continue to invest significant efforts in research and development to ensure the highest level of safety for passengers in all aspects,” a group official said.

Meanwhile, automotive companies in South Korea are pushing forward with their new electric vehicle launch schedules despite public concerns over EV safety, with key players actively campaigning to debunk unsubstantiated myths surrounding safe charging practices.

The latest fears surrounding EVs began after a spontaneous fire that began in a parked Mercedes-Benz EV wiped out an entire underground parking garage inside an apartment complex in Incheon, 27 kms west of Seoul, while damaging over 100 cars.

Hyundai Motor and Kia said that their EV batteries are designed to be safe even when charged to 100 per cent, with the internal battery management system monitoring and controlling any issues that may arise.