BMW i3 And Tesla Model S Fail To Standout In Latest Crash Tests

The Tesla Model S and BMW i3 fell short of earning the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s 2017 Top Safety Pick+ award.

IIHS released the electric vehicles’ test results Wednesday.

For a vehicle to qualify for the Top Safety Pick award, IIHS said it must earn “good” ratings in all five crashworthiness tests -- small overlap front, moderated overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraints and seats -- and come with a front crash prevention system that earns an advanced or superior rating.

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MDarringer - 2/1/2017 8:58:53 AM

+4 Boost

The picture of the Tesla has a lot of chassis deformation if you look closely.

mre30 - 2/1/2017 11:52:12 AM

+4 Boost

I have never truly believed all the relentless 'safety cheerleading' from the very vocal Tesla fan base and Tesla's own PR department. It never seemed to be backed up by objective facts (such as this one from the IIHS, finally) just a few threads that have been embellished.

Instead, there were the 'love fest' type of testimonials from Consumer Reports and others in the media that Tesla just took as a base and ran with - seemingly exaggerating more and more along the way.

If you look at the many photos online of Tesla's that had been in catastrophic accidents (and there are many - and that's excluding the unrelated 'fireball' photos of the aftermath of those terrible, vaporizing, battery fires) - its my opinion that the Tesla's crumpled up like crushed soda cans. The one of the kid in China who plowed into an oncoming car and the one in Florida of the Navy guy who died while watching a movie while on autopilot are especially horrific.

The Tesla's just don't seem to be that well built.

Oh, by the way, unrelated, but now that winter is here, the latest Falcon Door problem with the Model X (first full winter with a number of them on the road) is that when it dips below freezing, melting water gets into the Falcon Door mechanisms and causes the latching/locking mechanisms to freeze so that the electric doors won't close. My friend from Rochester, NY who has a Model X, says his vehicle is basically undriveable in freezing temps because he can't trust the doors to close. He had to drive home to his heated garage with the doors open (and warning sensors beeping). When he first called Tesla to complain, he said they told him "...yeah we have been hearing about that..."

I guess it never gets that cold in Tesla's California!

Tesla's are just not that good - they may be cool - but they are just not that good as vehicles in everyday use.