The Tesla Model S has achieved the highest safety rating ever recorded in the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the Model S a full five star rating in each subcategory.
Although the NHTSA doesn’t publish a star rating above five, Tesla claims the Model S achieved a theoretical (but unofficial) 5.4-star rating in the vehicle safety score.
The results found the Model S set a new record for occupant safety for cars sold in North America. The score accounts for injuries sustained resulting from front, side, rear and rollover collisions.
The side pole intrusion test saw the Tesla preserve 63.5 per cent of driver space, compared to another five-star car, the Volvo S60, which preserved 7.8 per cent of space. Tesla says safety in the optional third row of seats is improved with a double bumper arrangement.
Tesla attributes much of its protection to a large front crumple zone afforded by the lack of a large engine and aluminium extrusions in the side rails.
During rollover tests, the NHTSA employed special measures to induce a roll due to the Model S’s particularly low centre of gravity. Tesla mounts the battery below the floorpan. It says tests show that four fully loaded Model S vehicles could be placed on top of an owner’s car without the roof caving in.
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No wonder...
... after all this is the car that is troubling the likes of S-Class, the 7-Series and the A8.
I'd rather crash in a Tesla S
I'd rather crash in a Tesla S fitted with a petrol engine, with 200kgs+ less of energy needing to be dissipated into something, like a wall or a tree.
Atlhough it would be nice to not have a fire risk, but then high voltage can lead to fire too, and shocks.
Fair enough but.....
...what happens to the car the Tesla hits or hits the Tesla.
Surely, the fact that it has 60% or more space left available to the driver compared to nearly 8% for an S60, what its really saying is that the Tesla is safe for it's passengers and driver, but not the poor sod that is in the accident with the Tesla. You effectively 'bounce off' the Tesla, where the Tesla (lets say hitting an S60 Volvo) ploughs straight through on beyond (like smashing through a Caravan, probably!).
I'd like to see a pair of Teslas smash into each other. It'll either me fine and everyone is safe, or you'll find a 'cold fusion' like explosion which might destroy our Universe (don't panic, there are loads more out there, some even, where i even make sense!) and ineverything in it! Possibly......LOL
Rever2013 wrote: ... but not
BS. You've obiously never seen the crash pictures.