How safe are Tesla EVs?

Safety in vehicles is an essential aspect of any driver’s driving experience. Therefore, one of the most essential qualities that car owners typically look for is safety. Electric vehicles (EVs) were once renowned for their inexhaustible fires and unknown safety credentials. However, with the rapid development of technology, most recent electric vehicles are safer than many of their gasoline-powered equivalents. 

Electric vehicles such as the Tesla Model 3 and Audi e-Tron have received top safety ratings from several authorities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) and Euro NCAP agency, both agencies believe the Tesla Model 3 is the safest vehicle ever manufactured. For good reasons, Tesla must have stronger safety features than other automakers to surpass other automakers and completely dominate the market.

Even though Tesla is currently the innovator in the market for autonomous and smart EVs, Tesla needs a way to set itself apart from its rivals given the future adoption of autonomous driving technology and the transition to and eventual saturation of the electric vehicle market. Safety is one of those qualities. Everyone wants to feel secure while driving and understand that the vehicle they are in has been put through rigorous testing in a range of conditions. Therefore, the company is chasing and pursuing safety and rigorously improving the capacity and quality of the safety system.

In this article, we will go over the different safety ratings of Tesla EVs as well as the safety features included in their vehicles that make them stand out from the rest of the pack.

Tesla Safety ratings

Each subcategory of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s crash tests gave the Tesla Model S and Model X a 5-star safety rating. It is the highest mark a vehicle can achieve in the NHTSA tests. Their performance in the pole test (nine times better than other safe cars like the Volvo S60) and rollover risk (50 per cent better than any other car) are extraordinary, making them the safest vehicles in their categories. In tests conducted by Euro NCAP, they scored the same. The Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) also gave the Tesla Model 3 a “superior grade for front crash prevention,” and it is expected that it will achieve the highest score when the tests are finished. These ratings evidently display the capacity of Tesla vehicles to be safe and extremely secure vehicles in case of accidents.

However, remember that not everything is flawless. The Model S received criticism from the Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for its subpar headlights and insufficient protection in minor overlap accidents. Additionally, it questioned the Model 3’s brake performance, noting that it was worse than that of a full-sized pickup truck. Elon Musk pledged to address that with a software upgrade. Though the cars aren’t perfect and there are still problems just like any other automobile producer, Tesla is actively trying to resolve and improve the safety of its vehicles.

Tesla Safety Features

Battery and drivetrain design

The physical drive train of a Tesla is safer because it doesn’t use a combustion engine to power its vehicles. Tesla cars can get away with making their passenger compartment more robust and, as a result, safer because they do not have a gas tank in the back and a big combustion engine in the front.

In other words, a car with a combustion engine runs the risk of having the engine pushed through the dashboard and into the passenger area in the event of a frontal collision. Under the front hood of a Tesla car, however, there are only compartment spaces with no large metal components. A sizable radiator and battery wires are located beneath that area. The car can better absorb the shock of a collision because of the open front compartment.

Another benefit of placing large battery packs underneath the vehicle is that it lowers the centre of gravity, which is beneficial for Tesla models. As a result, there are significantly fewer chances of the automobile rolling over in an accident. In the event of a serious accident, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calculates that Tesla’s Model 3 has a 6.60 per cent probability of rolling over.

Tesla Vehicle Frames

The passenger compartment’s pillars and rails maximise safety by absorbing pressure from all directions, including a side impact. With a combination of the thickest and sturdiest aluminium rails and pillars in the automotive industry, the passenger compartment of Tesla’s car confines the driver.

Furthermore, the Tesla Model 3’s roof panels are made of two layers of glass laminated with reinforced thermoplastic, much like the windshield. Super-strong polyurethane holds this glass roof to the roof. This substance aids the car’s ability to absorb vibrations brought on by collisions.

A Tesla’s windshield and roof panels boost the overall vehicle’s structural integrity. It accomplishes this by bolstering the car’s glass panel. In the event of a collision, the structural glass allows forces to be distributed across the entire panel. Thus, thermoplastic laminated glass is a crucial factor in the security of Tesla.

The solid vehicle frame allows Tesla to excel in EV safety by offering solid protection from all angles and from all sorts of impacts that may occur on the vehicle.

Software Safety Features

Due to its active automated safety systems, driving a Tesla greatly reduces your chances of ever being involved in an accident. To further boost passenger safety, Tesla is constantly enhancing its autopilot functions. Many Tesla owners have so far avoided dangerous collisions thanks to the autopilot. The development of the autopilot software allows it to identify risks much quicker than the driver can.

In addition, Tesla has backup computer systems built right into the vehicle to handle any problems. Despite all these improvements, it is still dangerous and unwise for Tesla drivers to totally rely on autopilot when driving. Tesla expertly incorporates automation systems into its vehicles, leaving very little opportunity for even unavoidable human error, but that does not mean the vehicle is capable of driving without any human input in all environments.

This, of course, is shown when almost all fatal crashes involving Tesla vehicles with the Autopilot engaged happened because drivers shouldn’t have let the car drive by itself in the first place. However, it is shown that regarding the overall number of collisions, a 2016 NHTSA study found that Tesla vehicles equipped with the Autopilot feature were involved in 0.8 collisions per million miles, compared to 1.3 collisions per million for vehicles without the feature. Crash rates would drop by 40% as a result. Therefore, autopilot, when used correctly in the way it was intended to, can allow for a safer drive overall.

In conclusion, the safety of the passengers is at the centre of every Tesla component and design decision. Being inside a Tesla is unquestionably the safest location you can be while driving. Driving a Tesla is certainly one of the safest EV cars currently on the market, and there is currently very little competition that can seemingly compare to the safety of a Tesla EV.

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