First of all I would like to say that I am fully in approval of Ionics and their crash test programme, it is a good thing.
However Brodex have come in for a fair bit of 'stick' recently for only using sled testing not the full impact test.
However having viewed all of the Ionics test videos it is interesting that the Ionics system actually shows a lot more damage after the 30mph test sled test than the full 30mph impact test. A full crash test looks very impressive, but actually puts a lot less strain on the system as the van's very expensive and extensively researched absorption zones actually cushion the blow.
You can see this if you compare the frame damage in the final crash test sled and the impact test. On the final sled test footage you can see that the lower bar on the cage actually shears in two, the cage is severely deformed and the tank almost looks like it is about to 'pop' out. Whereas on the impact video no such breakage occurs, the cage is not half as deformed and no imminent 'popping' out is apparent.
In my opinion the real test is the crash sled not the impact test. If I am going to be investing my money in a crash test programme I know where it will be spent.
Well done Ionics, but also well done to Brodex for realising the value of sled testing.