The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration was the first independent
organization to test the Model 3 in
August of 2018. It was the first time
that consumers had a chance to see how
well the Model 3 protected its
passengers under industry standard crash scenarios.
The NHTSA's frontal crash tests
passenger protection from a head-on
collision with either another vehicle or
with a barrier like a brick wall. The
vehicle crashes into a fixed barrier at
35 miles per hour with an average-sized
male dummy in the driver's seat and a
small-sized female dummy in the front
passenger seat.
Underbody cladding is removed so cameras
located underneath the test vehicle can
record the behavior of the front crumple
zone as well as the rear assembly. This
angle showed how the battery pack was
protected along with the passenger
compartment.
This test is where we get our first look
at the Model 3's very unique
passenger airbag, specifically designed
to keep the passenger from striking not
only the dash, but also the center screen
the interior of the Model 3 is known for.
All four doors remained closed during
impact and were even operable after
impact. The windshield remained fully
retained with no intrusion into the
protected zone during impact. Driver and
passenger front airbags deployed. Driver
knee airbag deployed. According to
sensors and impact marks, the dummies
were fully protected from injury by the
front and knee airbags.
The NHTSA side barrier crash tests
passenger protection from a t-bone
collision that might happen at a
four-way intersection. A moving barrier
that weighs 3015 pounds collides
centered with the doors of the vehicle
being tested at 38.5 miles per hour. An average-sized male
dummy is in a driver seat with a
small-sized female dummy in the rear
passenger seat behind the driver. During
impact, the doors remained shut with no
separation at the hinges or latches. The
side curtain and side torso airbags on the
driver seat deployed. The pre-tensioners deployed on the driver and passenger
seat belts. The load limiter deployed on
the driver seat belt but not on the
passenger seat belt. Forces measured on
the head, spine, pelvis, and ribs of the
dummies were well below threshold values.
The NHTSA side pole crash tests
passenger protection when sliding
sideways into a tall rigid pole like a
standard utility pole. The test vehicle
is pulled sideways at 20 miles per hour
into a 25 centimeter diameter pole
centered on a driver's seating position.
The test vehicle is angled at 75 degrees
with a small-sized adult female dummy in
the driver seat. Once again, during
impact the doors remain shut with no
separation at the hinges or latches. The
front door was jammed shut. Both the side
curtain airbag and the side torso
airbags on the driver seat deployed.
The seatbelt pretensioners and load
limiter deployed on the driver seat.
Forces measured on the head, spine, pelvis,
and ribs were well below threshold
values.
The NHTSA also tested the Model 3's
propensity to rollover in a single
vehicle loss of control scenario,
according to their website, though they
did not release footage from this test
because it's an at rest laboratory
measurement. The model 3 scored a 6.60% rollover risk,
which is lower than any other vehicle
tested by the NHTSA except the heavier Tesla Model S.
Euro NCAP, which stands
for the European New Car Assessment
Program, was the second to test the model
three nearly a year later in July of
2019. The frontal offset crash tests
passenger protection in a common
scenario where two vehicles crash
head-on but not directly. The test
vehicle is offset 10% of its total body
width from its centerline, impacting a
fixed barrier in front of the driver at
40 miles per hour. The Model 3 scored
maximum points by protecting all four
dummies, showing that a similar level of
protection will be provided to
passengers of various sizes and seating
positions.
Euro NCAP also performs a full-width
frontal impact test at a static barrier,
with the test vehicle traveling 50 km/h.
This simulates a head-on collision where
both vehicles impact directly or a
collision with a fixed barrier such as a
concrete highway divider. One 57 kilogram
dummy is placed in the driver seat and
another in the rear passenger seat on
the opposite side. According to the
published report, all body areas were
well protected for both dummies with the
exception of the chest of the rear
passenger, protection of which was
adequate. The side barrier crash tests
passenger protection when being t-boned.
The test vehicle is static while the
moving barrier impacts the doors at 50 km/h.
The Tesla Model 3 scored maximum
points on this test, protecting all
critical body areas of the dummies. The
oblique side pole crash tests passenger
protection when sliding into a tall
rigid pole like a utility pole. According
to the published results, dummy readings
of rib compression indicated marginal
protection of the chest, with all
critical areas well protected.
Both front and rear seats were found to provide good
protection against whiplash and related
injuries in a rear-end collision.
Pedestrian impact tests showed good
protection for the legs and pelvis of an
impacted pedestrian. Euro NCAP also
tests active accident avoidance systems
like automated emergency braking. The
Model 3 automatically avoided collision
in both the static and moving vehicle
tests. It also avoided pedestrians in
several scenarios as well as cyclist day
and night.
Testing the Model 3's Lane Keep Assist
showed the system capable of preventing
unintentional crossing of lane lines
both when faced with an oncoming car as
well as when being overtaken by a car
in the adjacent lane.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety finally
tested the model three in August of 2019.
Out of all their tests, the small overlap
front crash test is what the IIHS is
known for. In this test, the test vehicle
impacts of five foot tall rigid barrier
at 40 miles per hour with only 25% of
its total width. This means that most of
the vehicle's crumple zone is missed by
the impact with forces instead being
absorbed by the wheel and suspension on
that side. Vehicles that do well in this
test use strong bracing in the wheel
well and firewall to redirect the
passenger compartment around the point
of impact instead of trying to absorb it
all directly. This is exactly what you
see with the Model 3 on this test.
Its design directs the vehicle around
the point of impact, protecting the
passenger compartment from significant
intrusion. Though there was slight
buckling of the door sill and moderate
intrusion in the lower part of the door
hinge, the passenger compartment was well-maintained. Forces on the head, neck, chest,
and pelvis were rated good, while the
lower leg forces were rated acceptable.
The moderate overlap front crash test
mimics that done by Euro NCAP with a
test vehicle striking a rigid barrier
offset 10% off at centerline at 40 miles per hour.
The IIHS only place a single
average-sized male dummy in the vehicle,
sitting in the driver seat. As expected,
the Model 3 performed exceptionally on
this test with dummy measurements all
rated good with great preservation of
the passenger compartment.
The side crash test likewise mimics that
done by Euro NCAP, though in this case
a 3,300 pound SUV-like barrier is used
to strike the driver's side of the
vehicle at 50 km/h. Small female dummies
are placed in the driver seat and the rear
seat behind the driver. Even with the
greater frontal area of this impact, the
Model 3 still protected its
passengers with good ratings on all
dummy measurements. Both driver and rear
passenger the airbags also protected the
dummy's heads from being hit by hard
structures or outside objects.
The IIHS also released footage of its
roof crush test of the Model 3, showing
how i's beefy roof structure and
laminated glass roof panels prevent
deformation of the passenger compartment
up to a force equivalent to 5.8 times
the weight of the Model
3. That's one of the highest scores
achieved by any car on this test. The
seat and headrest tests simulate a
stationary car being rear-ended by a car
traveling at 20 miles per hour. The front
and rear seat and headrests earned good
ratings on all areas evaluated. Lastly,
the IIHS tests automated emergency
braking at 12 and 25 miles per hour,
with the Model 3 avoiding a
collision in both tests.
If you're looking to get the safety of a
Tesla Model 3 for yourself, be sure to
use my referral link to get free
Supercharging. Full details about the
Tesla owner referral program can be
found at the link. I really appreciate
you watching The Tech of Tech, and I hope
to see you next time.
