Testing using the European EuroNCAP Protocol is unsuitable for the CLEVER vehicle concept since the regulations require a 40% coverage of the vehicle with a deforming barrier.
This coverage is not possible as a result of the vehicle's geometry only having one front wheel. In reality it would be more likely for the CLEVER vehicle to slide along the other vehicle involved in an accident.
The safety standard of the vehicle can be assessed more realistically with a front impact. Therefore the front impact test is carried out under the USNCAP standards. In this case the vehicle impacts on a rigid wall at a speed of 56 kph with 100% coverage.
Side impact under EuroNCAP standard
A carriage with a deforming structure is directed at the driver's side of the car at a speed of 50 kph. The mass of the carriage is 950 kg.
As a result of the symmetrical position of the driver's seat in the CLEVER vehicle, the direction of the impact is of no consequence, in other words tests can be conducted from the left (entry side) or from the right (rigid structure).
The test procedure is designed such that the barrier only strikes the cabin and not the running gear. This ensures that all of the energy from the impact has to be absorbed by the survival cell.
Rear impact
There are no regulations for the procedure for a rear impact, but nevertheless the CLEVER vehicle has also been tested in this respect using a numeric simulation method. The aim is to prevent any of the engine components entering into the passenger cell.
Roll-over
The strength of the roof structure is ensured by compliance with the regulations issued by the German Federal Department for Roads (BAST).
Under these regulations, the Eighth Exception Directive to the Road Licensing Directive, the roof frame is subjected to a static load of 22 kN (2 tonnes). The test is deemed to have been passed if the deformation does not exceed a certain level.
Pedestrian safety
The geometry of the front-end of the CLEVER vehicle and therefore the kinetics of a pedestrian accident, differ massively from the geometry of a conventional car. Therefore the test procedures provided under EuroNCAP and EEVC WG18 cannot portray the expected, realistic accident situation.
Pedestrian safety is therefore assessed by numeric simulation using the MADYMO software package. This represents a front impact by CLEVER against a pedestrian at a speed of 40 kph.
The assessment criteria include the mechanical loads on the head, neck and legs of the pedestrian.
