Crash tests raise questions about safety of Tesla Model S
A new set of crash tests question whether Tesla’s Model S is as safe as the electric car maker claims
By Phil LeBeau
A new set of crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the US questions Tesla’s claim that the Model S is the safest car in history.
In fact, the person who oversaw the Model S crash tests tells CNBC, “If you’re looking for top-line safety, we believe there are other, better choices than the Model S.”
Dave Zuby, IIHS executive vice president and chief research officer, made that assessment while discussing the results of a new round of crash tests focused on six large cars, including the Model S.
In one test, the small overlap front collision, the front driver’s side corner slams into a barrier at 40 mph. According to the Insurance Institute, the head of the crash test dummy in the Model S slammed into the steering wheel, which is why IIHS only gave the popular electric car an “acceptable” rating in the small overlap test. “Acceptable” is one notch below “Good,” the best rating possible by the IIHS.
The non-profit says the driver’s side seat belt did not have enough tension to protect the crash test dummy’s head. Furthermore, after Tesla said it corrected the problem, the Insurance Institute did the small overlap crash test a second time and came up with a similar result.