This is all very good PR.... BUT. The critical safety concern with the Tesla is.......<p>You guessed it. The high voltage system. It can kill you or a first responder with a touch.<p>It's not just about batteries catching fire, although that's gotten a lot of press lately. A chief concern during a Tesla accident is the exposure of high voltage components.<p>It's a big concern for first responders. Read it from the horse's mouth, the Tesla Emergency Response Guide. Page 16 highlights the "no cut" zones of the car. It's practically the entire length of the car.<p><a href="http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/downloads/20130214_ModelS_Emergency_Response_Guide.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/downloads/201...</a><p>There was a video they put out as well that details the steps first responders need to take to cut someone out of a car. It's HELLA COMPLICATED and in very close proximity to dangerous high voltage components.<p>And yes, gas cars can explode, etc. I don't mean this as fuel for the gas vs. electric debate (no pun intended). I hope very much the industry can improve electrical safety over time. All I'm saying is, never trust Elon Musk PR to tell you the whole picture.
This is simply unkind to the competition (and to the poles alike): "Tesla achieved this outcome by nesting multiple deep aluminum extrusions in the side rail of the car that absorb the impact energy (a similar approach was used by the Apollo Lunar Lander) and transfer load to the rest of the vehicle. This causes the pole to be either sheared off or to stop the car before the pole hits an occupant."<p>There's winning and there's crushing the opponents. One shouldn't gloat in the latter case, but this case deserves an exception.<p>Congratulations Elon and the team on tremendously nice engineering!
I'm sorry, but as a car enthusiast who spent much of his younger years devouring every ounce of Road&Track/Car&Driver mags, the phrase "any car ever tested" is a bit over the top... I'm almost positive the McLaren F1 (a car 20 years older) fared better than the Tesla in safety testing and was capable of being driven away after the testing finished...<p>F1 @ 30mph: <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v482/Peloton25/McLaren%20F1%20J/XP2_crash_test.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v482/Peloton25/McLaren%20F...</a><p>F1 @ 40mph: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUPq760LC00" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUPq760LC00</a><p>I'm more than willing to acknowledge Tesla has fantastic results, especially for the price... but that top spot still belongs to my childhood automotive idol. ;)
If you're curious, like I was, about the side pole test, here's a video of the Tesla:<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBvH3lysmJA" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBvH3lysmJA</a><p>Here's a Prius for comparison (4 stars):<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc0uUx2T37k" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc0uUx2T37k</a>
"It is possible to game the regulatory testing score to some degree by strengthening a car at the exact locations used by the regulatory testing machines. After verifying through internal testing that the Model S would achieve a NHTSA 5-star rating, Tesla then analyzed the Model S to determine the weakest points in the car and retested at those locations until the car achieved 5 stars no matter how the test equipment was configured."
- This is how you take on the Big Three
The crash test results, including the videos, are available here: <a href="http://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle+Shoppers/5-Star+Safety+Ratings/2011-Newer+Vehicles/Vehicle-Detail?vehicleId=7769" rel="nofollow">http://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle+Shoppers/5-Star+Safety+Ratin...</a><p>And even more crash test data and videos:
<a href="http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/vehdb/testtabledetails.aspx?LJC=8308&existphoto=Y&p_tstno=8308&existreport=Y&r_tstno=8308&existvideo=Y&v_tstno=8308&database=v&tstno=8308" rel="nofollow">http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/vehdb/testtablede...</a>
<a href="http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/vehdb/testtabledetails.aspx?LJC=8309&existphoto=Y&p_tstno=8309&existreport=Y&r_tstno=8309&existvideo=Y&v_tstno=8309&database=v&tstno=8309" rel="nofollow">http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/vehdb/testtablede...</a>
<a href="http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/vehdb/testtabledetails.aspx?LJC=8310&existphoto=Y&p_tstno=8310&existreport=Y&r_tstno=8310&existvideo=Y&v_tstno=8310&database=v&tstno=8310" rel="nofollow">http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/vehdb/testtablede...</a>
Elon has mentioned how much they prioritized safety in designing the Model S. I'm glad to hear that their efforts have paid off.<p>This is great news for Tesla as it opens their market even larger as the car can appeal to those seeking safety and not just performance or lower carbon footprint.
> The Model S lithium-ion battery did not catch fire at any time before, during or after the NHTSA testing. It is worth mentioning that no production Tesla lithium-ion battery has ever caught fire in the Model S or Roadster, despite several high speed impacts. While this is statistically unlikely to remain the case long term, Tesla is unaware of any Model S or Roadster occupant fatalities in any car ever.<p>I can't help but feel this is a bit of a jab at Boeing. :)
<i>"Of note, during validation of Model S roof crush protection at an independent commercial facility, the testing machine failed at just above 4 g's. While the exact number is uncertain due to Model S breaking the testing machine, what this means is that at least four additional fully loaded Model S vehicles could be placed on top of an owner's car without the roof caving in."</i><p>I don't have any frame of reference for how this compares to other vehicles, but damn, that is impressive.
Elon Musk clearly writes these things himself. That, or he's got a bunch of other folks like him working at Tesla.<p>Either way, it's exciting times. It's fun to be inspired by a company. To find something that keeps getting <i>better</i> as it unfolds...
Very impressive. One really cannot over stress that there is a lot of car that you "don't need" in the front and back if you don't have a big engine but using it for energy absorption is a certainly valid use. So far the only complaints my friends have had with their cars has been the "constant" updates to the software.
It helps that it weighs 4,600 pounds. (More than a thousand pounds heavier than the Volvo S60 they compare it to.) Heavier vehicles always do better-- which is why SUVs survive crashes so well.
Isn't this old news? (<a href="http://www.treehugger.com/cars/tesla-model-s-gets-5-star-safety-rating-every-category-after-nhtsa-crash-tests.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.treehugger.com/cars/tesla-model-s-gets-5-star-saf...</a> was posted two weeks ago: <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/cars/tesla-model-s-gets-5-star-safety-rating-every-category-after-nhtsa-crash-tests.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.treehugger.com/cars/tesla-model-s-gets-5-star-saf...</a>)
<i>"the front section that would normally contain a gasoline engine is used for a second trunk."</i><p>I guess somebody has veto'd "frunk". Oh well.
I am really proud of Elon and his crew.<p>For someone who has made a first pass at making a car he sure has set the bar very high. The performance, quality and safety of this vehicle show that anything is possible.<p>However, on the flip side, it shows how uncompetitive the U.S. market has become. It takes vast sums of money to compete with the big 3.<p>I look forward to Elon pushing the limits in space and with the hyperloop.
Is there an automotive safety engineer in the room? I'd be eager to get expert commentary on these results.<p>The safety test results sound amazing. Tesla is also strong in the marketing department.<p>Just trying to maintain healthy skepticism. These results seem very exciting.
Tesla S is an excellent car. Loved it when I sat in one.<p>What came to light in Germany some years ago, with a heated discussion, is that automotive companies seem to optimize their cars towards specific tests. The discussion raged around what tests are more realistic, with those that let the car makers look bad (foreign tests) being "not realistic".
The way cars collapse and fall apart at crashes is absolutely amazing. Just over 30 days ago I was involved in a head on collision with a Nissan Titan full-size pickup truck WITH cargo in the bed, and walked away from an accident the EMT's, fire fighters, and police all told me it was almost impossible I did. The adjuster didn't believe me when I told him the state of the car, but when he did go out to check it out he called me and asked me if I was sure I was alright...<p>Here are pictures: <a href="http://imgur.com/a/nIMOP#0" rel="nofollow">http://imgur.com/a/nIMOP#0</a><p>I was driving 20 Mph, turning left at a traffic light, the pickup truck was driving (according to the driver) 45 - 50 Mph, although the adjuster and off-duty police suggest he may have been driving faster.<p>---<p>One thing I will note though, my car is significantly cheaper than the Tesla... and fares extremely well in the NHTSA tests.
There have been several real-world crashes of the Tesla S, and none, as far as I know, have resulted in any injuries to the driver.<p>One was even a head on crash at fairly high speeds which killed the other vehicle's driver. The Tesla S driver walked away. Tesla never fails to amaze me.
I've always found the star safety ratings confusing especially when I've noticed compact cars getting the same stars as large cars.<p>I'd like to just see each model ranked by number of fatalities per mile driven. Wouldn't that make a lot more sense?<p>Is such a statistic available anywhere?
How do pedestrians fare when hit by a Tesla? I'll save my cheering for when they have a self driving one so I no longer have to worry about drunk or distracted drivers.
Is there not a way an emergency responder, or anyone else for that matter, could fully discharge a battery like the one on a Tesla? As ask coz back in the day before digital cameras became mainstream, we used to repair point and shoot cameras at the photo processing lab where I worked. A point and shoot camera has a capacitor for the flash that can give you a short but not insignificant shock, and to avoid it, we'd take a normal light bulb and use it to discharge the capacitor. I realize a cap batteries stores a lot more power, but couldn't some mechanism be built that does the same thing?
"While the exact number is uncertain due to Model S breaking the testing machine, what this means is that at least four additional fully loaded Model S vehicles could be placed on top of an owner's car without the roof caving in."<p>jeez.<p>couple that with this and it's safe to say these have been a good couple of months for tesla <a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/05/video-the-tesla-model-s-is-our-top-scoring-car/index.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/05/video-the-te...</a>
> Of note, during validation of Model S roof crush protection at an independent commercial facility, the testing machine failed at just above 4 g's. While the exact number is uncertain due to Model S breaking the testing machine, what this means is that at least four additional fully loaded Model S vehicles could be placed on top of an owner's car without the roof caving in. This is achieved primarily through a center (B) pillar reinforcement attached via aerospace grade bolts.<p>lol, they broke the testing machine
How can I buy one of these? Is there a huge wait time?<p>And how does the performance compare to a regular consumer-level luxury 'sports car' like an audi?
Seems a little disingenuous to bring up better rating than SUVs. SUVs of the same rating as cars still have a 4.5 times better survivability rate. The rating is for comparing similar cars hitting each other. A comparatively light and low to the ground car is not going to fare well vs. a heavy, higher off the ground SUV. That's just simple physics.
Okay, I am convinced this car is superb. How about we... build more of them? There is a Ford factory here in Australia that is due to be shut down in 2 years, it could be converted, and us Aussies would love to be able to buy this car. I personally promise to buy one if it is built here. The Aussie government might chip in as well.
Maybe they should find someone try to hack into the system. I believe this computer based car will have the same virus problem as PC. If it has function to connect the internet via wireless network, things might be worse...
That's what you get when you think about your product first, and profit second. Musk wants to give the world a great car, not to make profit on cars. This breeds quality we see.
I keep fearing this guy is going to pull a John Gault on us. He's the closest thing to an Ayn Rand character I've seen in my lifetime. Too close for comfort.<p>Atlas Shrugged came out when I was entering high school and almost ruined me according to my dad back then (and he was a republican.) :-)
Here are videos of model s crash tests:<p>Frontal - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz2FMfv-CSc" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz2FMfv-CSc</a><p>Pole - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Al3IUHt9Wc" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Al3IUHt9Wc</a><p>Side - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNyjiFmjfxw" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNyjiFmjfxw</a>