Tesla Model S Earns Highest NHTSA Safety Rating 5.4
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/08/tesla-model-s-crash-test/ The Tesla Model S Is So Safe It Broke the Crash-Testing Gear By Damon Lavrinc 08.20.13 [image / NHTSA http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/autopia/2013/08/tesla-crash-test.jpg video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz2FMfv-CSc 2013 Tesla Model S | Frontal Crash Test by NHTSA | CrashNet1 Aug 7, 2013 Overall: 5 Stars Frontal: 5 Stars Side: 5 Stars Rollover: 5 Stars NHTSA - New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), Frontal Test: Crash test dummies representing an average-sized adult male and a small-sized adult female are placed in the driver and front passenger seats, respectively, and are secured with seat belts. Vehicles are crashed into a fixed barrier at 35 mph (56.3km/h), which is equivalent to a head-on collision between two similar vehicles each moving at 35 mph. Thumbs up for the crash test dummies! ] The Tesla Model S may be the safest vehicle ever tested by the feds. So safe, in fact, that according to the automaker, the all-electric sedan broke the testing equipment at an independent commercial facility. Most cars get five stars in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s frontal crash protection test and four stars for side impact protection. But the Model S aced them all: front, side, pole, and rollover. And Tesla adds in its announcement that during a previous roof crush test used during validation, the machine failed while applying more than 4 G’s of pressure — the same as stacking four of the electric sedans on top of the car without the roof breaking. When NHTSA added up all the scores, it totaled a combined 5.4 stars — the highest ever recorded for a production vehicle. The reason for the insanely high marks isn’t just the stiff structure, but the electric drivetrain. With no engine up front taking up valuable crumple zone space, Tesla’s engineers were able to maximize the amount of sacrificial space, and with the battery mounted oh-so-low in the floor, that increases rigidity around the occupants. The rear crash test — particularly important given the rear-facing child jump seats — was another high score, with no “permanently disabling injury to the third row occupants” thanks in part to what Tesla calls a “double bumper” to absorb additional impact. And before you ask, the lithium-ion battery handled it all with aplomb, with no leakage or fire. [© 2013 Condé Nast] http://techcrunch.com/2013/08/19/tesla-model-s-highest-safety-rating/ Tesla Model S Earns Highest Safety Rating Ever From US Agency by Billy Gallagher [2013/08/19] [image http://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/model-s-sigred-front3qtr_960x640_0.jpg ] The Tesla Model S earned a 5-star safety rating, both overall and in each individual category, from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The company claims that the Model S achieved a new combined record of 5.4 stars. Around one percent of cars tested by the NHTSA earn five stars in every category. Tesla claims that the Model S was able to earn a 5.4 star rating because the NHTSA, which does not publish star ratings above 5, captures safety levels above 5 stars in the Vehicle Safety Score, which it sends to manufacturers. Tesla says this rating is tops among every major make and model in the United States. The best part of the company’s release was this badass factoid: “Of note, during validation of Model S roof crush protection at an independent commercial facility, the testing machine failed at just above 4 g’s. While the exact number is uncertain due to Model S breaking the testing machine, what this means is that at least four additional fully loaded Model S vehicles could be placed on top of an owner’s car without the roof caving in.” In the press release, Tesla noted that, “it is possible to game the regulatory testing score to some degree by strengthening a car at the exact locations used by the regulatory testing machines.” However, the company claims that it analyzed the Model S, determined the car’s weak spots, and then retested until it was sure the car would receive a 5-star rating no matter how the test was administered. The safety rating prompted Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff to tweet high praise. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that a car with no gasoline tank invented by a billionaire who also runs a space company is super safe, but the rating should nonetheless boost Tesla’s and the Model S’s appeal to customers. A recent study shows the car has been purchased mostly by young, affluent males, a much different demographic than the one attracted by other electric cars. The higher safety rating could help Tesla, the Model S or as a company, reach other demographics, like people with children. [© techcrunch.com] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-20/tesla-says-model-s-electric-sedan-gets-top-u-s-crash-rating.html Tesla Says Model S Electric Sedan Receives Top U.S. Crash Rating Aug 19, 2013 - Tesla Motors, the electric-car maker led by billionaire Elon Musk, said its flagship Model S sedan ... 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