Most Tesla fans already know that a Tesla vehicle is the safest car in the world, literally being a bulletproof car that has the least probability of occupant injury in a crash. The upcoming Tesla car price in India for the Model 3 is Rs.70 lakh, and the expected launch date is January 2023.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (the governing body for car safety standards in the United States), the Tesla Model 3 received the highest scores and was rated the safest car ever tested. It had the lowest probability of injury in a collision as compared to over 900 cars tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSA).
This is a great achievement for Tesla because they are a fairly new company as compared to big industry giants such as Mercedes Benz and Volvo who are known for building extremely safe cars for decades.
Why are Teslas so safe?
Many of the reasons that make Tesla a very safe car is due to their electric motors and drivetrains, and the fact that Tesla makes their EVs purpose built, unlike other car makers that modify existing models to run on electricity. Batteries are the safer option compared to gasoline, because there is a less chance of an explosion on impact in the event of a collision.
Teslas have a larger crumple zone area in the front and at the rear as compared to an internal combustion vehicle that houses a petrol tank at the rear, and a big bulky engine at the front. Teslas also have a more rigid passenger compartment in between that keeps the occupants safe in the cabin.
If the Tesla Model 3 were to hit a telephone pole, the bumper and subframe would simply wrap around the pole, while the passenger compartment remains completely safe as the battery pack is below the occupants and the motor would drop below the battery.
In addition to this, the chassis is made from aluminium and steel which makes it extremely strong. The A, B and C pillars and rails are fattest in the automotive industry, so even a side impact will not penetrate the passenger cabin in a collision.
Another factor that makes Teslas the safest cars in the world is that its roof is unlike most cars in the industry. Legacy cars typically have a roof made of thin sheet metal, and the roof is the least protected component in a car. It is not rigid and provides little protection in a roll over incident.
Tesla roofs are made of glass which most people will consider less safe than metal, but the fact is that the glass on a Tesla roof is made from laminated sheets of glass just like the windshield. The hardened glass laminated with thermoplastic is stiffer than thin sheet metal and in the event of a side impact, they don’t break easily and are held in place by the thermoplastic layer. There are no dangerous shards of glass created and the integrity of the roof is preserved.
Another advantage that Tesla cars have is the floor mounted battery which improves safety in several ways. The batteries used in Tesla cars like the Model 3 weigh around 500 kg, and they sit very low down below the passenger compartment in the frame. This gives the Tesla a low centre of gravity and prevents the car from rolling over in an accident. The car’s handling and dynamics are also greatly improved by the low centre of gravity.
As compared to internal combustion cars, the Tesla Model 3 has less chance of roll over in a severe collision making them very safe.
Tesla batteries are also designed to handle overheating in the case of a malfunction. There are special cooling pathways in the battery that prevent a fire or explosion. There hasn’t been a single case of a fire in a Model 3 even after the battery pack had been damaged.
What other safety features does a Tesla have?
Tesla's safety features do not end there. They have an advanced stability control system that keeps the vehicle on the road when the driver loses control. Sensors tell the driver if passengers are safely buckled in, and airbags deploy at different intensities depending on the collision. This type of capability makes Tesla safest car in the world
The Tesla Model 3 gets Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Avoidance, Auto Emergency Brakes, Blind Spot Monitoring, and Red Traffic Light Recognition.
Tesla has extensive connectivity features on their vehicles that receive detailed data on all accidents that occur in their cars. The Autopilot feature may be controversial but according to statistics the Autopilot on a Tesla averages one accident every 4.3 million kilometres, as compared to other passenger cars in the United States that average one accident every 701,000 kilometres.
