25 April 2007:

Reva crash tested in the UK

Reva crash tested in the UK

The UK Department for Transport purchased a second-hand Reva and crash tested it in the UK. The side on frontal test was conducted on April 25.

Since then, many commentators have made claims about the Reva’s level of occupant safety.

The Reva is classified in the UK as a quadricycle (category L7e)

The test undertaken is not  required or recommended under the European regulation for quadricycles. It is a test designed for the M1 category of vehicles that are capable of travelling at speeds in excess of 100mph.

Research shows that the average speed of a Reva is less than 10mph.

The Reva has received Full EU Type Approval, which means it meets all the required automotive mechanical and electrical regulations for a quadricycle.

A spokesperson for the UK Transport Technology and Standards Division of the Dept for Transport confirmed last week that “There is no suggestion in this work that the vehicle fails to meet the current legal requirements relevant to its classification as a quadricycle.”

Thanks to the safety claims made by various commentators in the media, the motion put to the Australian Transport Council’s meeting in Broome to trial 50 Reva’s in WA has not been approved.

Interestingly, we are reliably informed that the WA trial had attracted ‘qualified support’ from the Victorian and South Australia transport departments and even more ‘qualified support’ from the Queensland department. Had the WA proposal been debated there was a strong chance the motion would have been passed and 50 Reva’s would now being trialled in WA.