Ever since Elon Musk’s electric cars came into the spotlight, their most talked about feature was the Autopilot. The system is basically a navigation/driver assistance tool, but for the most part it has been considered at the center of Tesla’s safety systems.
Until now, Tesla cars have been tested in several crash procedures, and all of them proved their worth. The most recent one, the Model 3, received the top rating from the Euro NCAP in 2019, and this week it got top accolades from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
In a statement released on Thursday (September 19), the American safety watchdog said the Model 3 got its coveted TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating, after its "occupants" survived the test procedures.
According to the organization, the car “earns good ratings across the board for crashworthiness” and its additional systems managed to perform just as well. The car managed to avoid collisions in both the 12 mph and 25 mph IIHS track tests, but also scored high when it comes to the available headlights.
After the crash test, the IIHS found that during the driver-side small overlap front test there was an 8 inches intrusion at the lower door-hinge pillar, posing a moderate risk of injury to the driver's lower leg. No risk was however detected when it comes to the front/side airbags, and the seat belt.
The Model 3 is part of a larger batch of alternative powered cars tested so far by the IIHS. Until now, the Audi e-tron and Hyundai Nexo earned the top distinction, while the Chevrolet Bolt failed to do so because of too much glare coming from its headlights.
"Vehicles with alternative powertrains have come into their own," said in a statement IIHS Chief Research Officer David Zuby.
"There's no need to trade away safety for a lower carbon footprint when choosing a vehicle."
You can have a look at how the crash test of the Model 3 went in the video attached below.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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