Tesla Model S Euro NCAP crash test

5 stars. Overall excellent performance in crash protection and well equipped with comprehensive and robust crash avoidance technology

The passenger compartment of the Model S remained stable in the frontal offset test. Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger.  Tesla demonstrated that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions.  Protection of the driver’s chest was rated as marginal, based on dummy readings of compression.  Analysis of the deceleration of the impact trolley during the test, and analysis of the deformable barrier after the test, revealed that the Model S would be a moderately benign impact partner in a frontal collision. In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection of all critical body areas was good, both for the driver and the rear passenger, and the Model S scored maximum points in this part of the assessment.  Likewise, in both the side barrier and the more aggressive side pole impact, protection of all critical body areas was good.  Control of excursion (the extent to which a body is thrown to the other side of the vehicle when it is hit from the far side) was found to be adequate. The Model S has a counter-measure to mitigate against occupant to occupant injuries in such impacts.  The system performed well in Euro NCAP’s test, with good protection of occupants’ heads.  Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision.  A geometric analysis of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection.   The Model S has an advanced eCall system which alerts the emergency services in the event of a crash and a system which automatically applies the brakes to prevent secondary collisions.

The Model S provided good protection for all critical body regions of both the 6 and 10 year dummies in the frontal offset and side barrier tests, and scored maximum points in this part of the assessment.  The Model S has a system which automatically disables the front passenger airbag to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position.  Tests showed that the system correctly identified when to disable the airbag, and it was rewarded.  All of the child restraint types for which the Model S is designed could be properly installed and accommodated.

The Model S has an ‘active’ bonnet.  Sensors in the bumper detect when a pedestrian has been struck and actuators lift the bonnet to provide greater clearance to stiff structures underneath.  Tesla showed that the system worked robustly for different pedestrian statures and over a range of speeds and, accordingly, the car was tested with the bonnet in the raised, deployed, position.  The protection provided to the head of a struck pedestrian was almost completely good or adequate, with some poor results only at the base of the windscreen and on the stiff windscreen pillars.  The bumper offered good protection to pedestrians’ legs at all test locations and protection of the pelvis was also good across the width of the car.  The autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system of the Model S can respond to vulnerable road users as well as to other vehicles.  The system performed well in tests of its response to pedestrians and cyclists, with collisions avoided in almost all test scenarios.

The autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system performed well in tests of its reaction to other vehicles.  A seatbelt reminder system is fitted as standard to the front and rear seats.  Its ‘Collision Avoidance Driver Monitoring’ system uses camera-based direct monitoring to detect a distracted driver and automatically changes the sensitivity of the Forward Collision Warning System to be more reactive.  The lane support system gently corrects the vehicle’s path if it is drifting out of lane, and also intervenes in some more critical situations.  The car uses digital mapping and camera inputs to determine the local speed limit and the driver can opt to be notified via a visual and both visual and acoustic warning.