I cannot remember any other motor vehicle that just appeared out of the blue and has turned the automotive industry on its ear. All-electric, it has a range much greater than any other all-electric vehicle. It has been given acceleration tests that showed it has supercar performance, being quicker to 100 km/h than V8 racing cars. And now, the latest batch of testing would seem to show that it is probably the safest car in the world.
The Tesla Model S has earned the highest safety score in the history of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US. In fact, the Model S performed so well, it broke NHTSA’s testing equipment. According to a press release from Tesla, NHTSA “awarded the Tesla Model S a 5-star safety rating, not just overall, but in every subcategory without exception.”
Super safe Tesla S.
NHTSA conducts frontal, rear, and side impact tests, as well as a side pole impact test. In the pole test, the Model S retained 63.5 percent of its driver residual space. Another make, known for its safety put through the same test, that figure was just 7.8 percent.
The Model S was outstanding in the rollover test, which determines how likely a vehicle is to turn over, and, when it does, whether its roof can support the weight of the car.
Again, according to Tesla, the Model S performed twice as well as other vehicles on the rollover test. As a matter of fact, NHTSA’s normal tests couldn’t induce the car to flip, so the agency had to resort to “special means”. Tesla credits the sedan’s battery pack for that, which gives the Model S a very low center of gravity. The Model S had a rollover risk of just 5.7 percent.
In testing the roof of the Model S, the NHTSA’s machinery broke. As Tesla explains, “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.”
The upshot is the fact that the Tesla Model S is currently the safest car in NHTSA’s history
While it has passed US crash test requirements, it is yet to be tested by Euro NCAP. The company forecasts a five-star safety rating based on US testing. It has a complement of eight airbags (two front, two knee, two side and two curtains) and stability control is standard.
What I find simply amazing is the fact that Tesla was started by Elon Musk, an entrepreneur, who has nothing near the engineering facility of GM with its Volt, or Renault with its Leaf. How has he accomplished all this?
Will we see a Tesla Model S in Thailand? I am sure we will, and within 12 months.
