Tesla Model S Awarded 5-Star Rating in NCAP Crash Tests

NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) in its spree to test popular cars for road safety has awarded Tesla’s Model S a 5-star safety rating. No stranger to awards and recognition, Tesla Model S also achieved the ‘best crash test ratings in the history of accident testing’ last year when it was tested by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).

Tesla Model S is one of the few cars who achieved a 5-star rating in both Europe and the US, reason being each program emphasise on different safety features while testing. NHTSA focuses on structural and restraint safety on how well the vehicle can withstand and absorb the energy of an impact while protecting its occupants. It is also primarily concerned with the driver. Meanwhile, NCAP assesses a wider range of features, including tests for child and pedestrian safety. Active safety is also an important part of the NCAP’s 5-star requirement.

NCAP test is considered one of the toughest car-safety tests in the world, hence the results are certainly worth applauding. There have been, to date, only a few vehicles to receive a 5-star rating from both the NCAP and NHTSA.

Tesla said, “The Model S has advantages not seen in conventional cars. Its low center of gravity, thanks to the battery pack positioned underneath the passenger compartment, makes 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. Its body is reinforced with aluminum extrusions at strategic locations around the car, and the roof can withstand at least 4-G’s.”

It is also said that since the launch of the Model S two years back, there’s been only one publicised death in Model S. It makes clear that the vehicle deserves these ratings.