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).
(Logo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140616/691314 )
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