Nissan's Leaf has become the first electric vehicle to be awarded a five-star safety rating in Euro NCAP testing.

According to Jerry Hardcastle, Nissan vice-president of vehicle design and development, an electric vehicle provides special safety challenges - it's vital to protect not just the occupant, but also the high-voltage circuit and the battery. "We have a triple-layer approach to that," he says. "Absorbing the energy first, then protecting the battery, and then making the battery itself strong and able to withstand the final impact."

Euro NCAP released test results for five more cars – Citroen DS4, Ford Focus, Lexus CT200h, Peugeot 508 and Volvo V60 - all of which were awarded five star safety ratings.

There's more on the Leaf and its EuroNCAP testing in the video below:

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