The Department of Transport announced yesterday that the Government is seeking a review of the European regulations for quadricycles with regards to their safety performance. This is in response to the growing popularity of quadricycles as a more environmentally friendly alternative to cars. 

When the Department for Transport ran crash tests on a Reva G-Wiz electric vehicle, it passed the European requirement for quadricycles (a four-wheeled vehicle whose unladen mass is not more than 400kg and whose max power does not exceed 15kW).  When however it was subjected to the same impact test expected of normal cars to test occupant protection (frontal impact test into a deformable barrier at 35mph), serious safety concerns were highlighted.

GoingGreen boss Keith Johnston said in a statement "The G-Wiz has an exemplary safety record with over 20 million miles driven in London and worldwide and over 4,000 years of ownership, with no reported serious injuries."

The G-Wiz is designed and used as a low-speed urban commuter vehicle.  It meets all regulatory requirements and has received Full EU Type Approval. Actual data from the 750 G-Wiz already on London’s roads show that the average speed driven is 10mph.

The manufacturer of the G-Wiz, the Reva Electric Car Company (RECC), like all vehicle manufacturers, is constantly reviewing safety features and innovation relative to usage and has advised GoinGreen that it would be pleased to collaborate with the authorities in such a review.