If you've been aching to see more Tesla Model S crash test videos, it's your lucky day. The European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) safety agency has announced that the EV scored a 5-star safety rating in a new battery of tests. And it released the video footage for you to "enjoy," which you can do below.
Five stars is the highest score that Euro NCAP hands out, and this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who's familiar with the way the Model S handled the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests a year ago. Tesla says that its popular luxury EV scored five stars overall as well as "every NHTSA subcategory, including frontal impact, side impact, and rollover" and that, "only two other cars have earned the same recognition since 2011 (when NHTSA introduced its latest rating scheme)." Euro NCAP says that three vehicles that are comparable to the Model S are the Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid,, the Lancia Thema and the Infiniti FX. You can find the details Model S results in the gallery below or in this PDF and find out why Tesla thinks it did so well on both the American and European tests – "our holistic approach to safety" – in the press release below.
Five stars is the highest score that Euro NCAP hands out, and this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who's familiar with the way the Model S handled the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests a year ago. Tesla says that its popular luxury EV scored five stars overall as well as "every NHTSA subcategory, including frontal impact, side impact, and rollover" and that, "only two other cars have earned the same recognition since 2011 (when NHTSA introduced its latest rating scheme)." Euro NCAP says that three vehicles that are comparable to the Model S are the Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid,, the Lancia Thema and the Infiniti FX. You can find the details Model S results in the gallery below or in this PDF and find out why Tesla thinks it did so well on both the American and European tests – "our holistic approach to safety" – in the press release below.
Model S Achieves Euro NCAP 5-Star Safety Rating
AMSTERDAM, November 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
We're pleased to announce that the Tesla Model S has received a maximum-possible 5-star safety rating from the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP).
Model S is one of just a few cars to have ever achieved a 5-star safety rating from both Euro NCAP and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Additionally, Model S is the only car this year to have achieved both a 5-star Euro NCAP rating and 5 stars in every NHTSA subcategory, including frontal impact, side impact, and rollover. Only two other cars have earned the same recognition since 2011 (when NHTSA introduced its latest rating scheme).
The reason so few models achieve 5-star ratings in both Europe and the U.S. is that each program places emphasis on different safety aspects in the assessment process. NHTSA emphasizes structural and restraint safety, with a deep focus on how well the vehicle can withstand and absorb the energy of an impact while protecting its occupants. It is also primarily concerned with adult occupants. On the other hand, Euro NCAP assesses a wider range of scenarios, including tests for child and pedestrian safety. Unlike for NHTSA, active safety is also an important part of Euro NCAP's 5-star requirement. Every year, the European organization raises the standard for a 5-star rating to account for technological advances in the industry.
The dual 5-star ratings for Model S validate our holistic approach to safety. We have been engineering passive and active safety systems in parallel, so the car is structurally sound and is also designed to intelligently anticipate and react to potentially dangerous situations.
Structurally, Model S has advantages not seen in conventional cars. It has a low center of gravity because its battery pack, the largest mass in the car, is positioned underneath the passenger compartment, making rollover extremely unlikely. It also has a large front crumple zone because of the lack of an engine, meaning it can absorb more energy from a frontal impact, the most common type of crash resulting in fatalities. Its body is reinforced with aluminum extrusions at strategic locations around the car, and the roof can withstand at least 4 g's. It was for these reasons that Model S achieved 5 stars in every subcategory when tested by NHTSA in 2013.
This quarter, we started implementing the Model S active safety system in conjunction with the introduction of new Autopilot hardware, consisting of 12 ultrasonic sensors that sense up to 16 feet around the car, a forward-looking camera, a forward radar, and a digitally controlled, high-precision electric brake boost. We specifically selected this hardware to accommodate the progressive introduction of new safety features via software updates over the course of the next several months.
While the features already pushed to the Model S fleet - Lane Departure Warning and Speed Limit Warning - have proven sufficient to merit a 5-star NCAP rating, we will go much further with active safety systems. Features coming soon include Forward and Side Collision Warning and Avoidance, Blind Spot Warning, and Automatic Emergency Braking.
Safety has always been Tesla's top priority, and we remain committed to continuously improving Model S to ensure that adults, children, and pedestrians alike receive the best possible protection from the car and its technology. In the meantime, Model S owners can be secure in the knowledge that this recognition from Euro NCAP reaffirms their car's outstanding safety qualities.
Press Contact: eupress@teslamotors.com
SOURCE Tesla Motors Inc
AMSTERDAM, November 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
We're pleased to announce that the Tesla Model S has received a maximum-possible 5-star safety rating from the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP).
Model S is one of just a few cars to have ever achieved a 5-star safety rating from both Euro NCAP and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Additionally, Model S is the only car this year to have achieved both a 5-star Euro NCAP rating and 5 stars in every NHTSA subcategory, including frontal impact, side impact, and rollover. Only two other cars have earned the same recognition since 2011 (when NHTSA introduced its latest rating scheme).
The reason so few models achieve 5-star ratings in both Europe and the U.S. is that each program places emphasis on different safety aspects in the assessment process. NHTSA emphasizes structural and restraint safety, with a deep focus on how well the vehicle can withstand and absorb the energy of an impact while protecting its occupants. It is also primarily concerned with adult occupants. On the other hand, Euro NCAP assesses a wider range of scenarios, including tests for child and pedestrian safety. Unlike for NHTSA, active safety is also an important part of Euro NCAP's 5-star requirement. Every year, the European organization raises the standard for a 5-star rating to account for technological advances in the industry.
The dual 5-star ratings for Model S validate our holistic approach to safety. We have been engineering passive and active safety systems in parallel, so the car is structurally sound and is also designed to intelligently anticipate and react to potentially dangerous situations.
Structurally, Model S has advantages not seen in conventional cars. It has a low center of gravity because its battery pack, the largest mass in the car, is positioned underneath the passenger compartment, making rollover extremely unlikely. It also has a large front crumple zone because of the lack of an engine, meaning it can absorb more energy from a frontal impact, the most common type of crash resulting in fatalities. Its body is reinforced with aluminum extrusions at strategic locations around the car, and the roof can withstand at least 4 g's. It was for these reasons that Model S achieved 5 stars in every subcategory when tested by NHTSA in 2013.
This quarter, we started implementing the Model S active safety system in conjunction with the introduction of new Autopilot hardware, consisting of 12 ultrasonic sensors that sense up to 16 feet around the car, a forward-looking camera, a forward radar, and a digitally controlled, high-precision electric brake boost. We specifically selected this hardware to accommodate the progressive introduction of new safety features via software updates over the course of the next several months.
While the features already pushed to the Model S fleet - Lane Departure Warning and Speed Limit Warning - have proven sufficient to merit a 5-star NCAP rating, we will go much further with active safety systems. Features coming soon include Forward and Side Collision Warning and Avoidance, Blind Spot Warning, and Automatic Emergency Braking.
Safety has always been Tesla's top priority, and we remain committed to continuously improving Model S to ensure that adults, children, and pedestrians alike receive the best possible protection from the car and its technology. In the meantime, Model S owners can be secure in the knowledge that this recognition from Euro NCAP reaffirms their car's outstanding safety qualities.
Press Contact: eupress@teslamotors.com
SOURCE Tesla Motors Inc
Related Gallery Tesla Model S Euro NCAP Crast Test Details
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