Why Tesla's Model Y Received A 5-Star Crash-Test Rating

This is Tesla's model Y acing one of many impact tests here it is again and again , the crossover received the highest marks in every test making it one of the safest crossovers on the road .

A similar designation Tesla has seen with the model three but it's no surprise .

The model Y is based mostly on the model three's platform and both cars received a five star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration .

This is what makes Tesla's first crossover so safe in the event of a collision , protecting passenger survival space is paramount and all modern cars are designed to do so .

But E V s have a huge advantage .

The absence of an engine provides ample space for a crumple zone and frontal impacts .

This can be seen in the model Ys frontal impact test .

When the vehicle is slammed head first into a barrier at 35 MPH .

As the hood of the car slams into the barrier , it crumples and absorbs the impact , preventing the passenger cell from collapsing and harming the dummy inside .

Since the model Y is larger than the model three , its body structure has been fortified to account for the additional mass of the vehicle .

This results in less of the hood crumpling for the bottle y creating a larger survival space for occupants inside impact test .

The crossover has significantly less space to absorb the forces of a crash .

This is where you can really see Tesla structure do a lot of heavy lifting , the pillars , side sills and fortified battery pack , mitigate the intrusion of a crash .

This gives the side airbag enough time to deploy and cushion the impact on passengers .

This is tested in two ways .

The first is a side barrier test in which a sled that acts as a car is rammed into the driver's side of the model Y at 38 a half MPH .

This simulates a T bone collision .

Here you can see just how rigid the model Y structure is .

The sides crumple less than the hood and the frontal crash again preserving survival space for the occupants .

The second test , the side pole impact simulates an accident with the tree or pole .

In this test , the impact is much more concentrated which pushes the boundaries of a car's structural integrity .

The roof and side sills prevent the impact from protruding further into the driver's survival space .

While there's no data on the model Ys roof strength , we can look to the model three to get a better understanding of how the roof is able to absorb the brunt of the impact in this test in 2019 .

The model three , the same platform as the model Y earned the highest strength to rate ratio of any E V .

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety had ever tested , resisting more than £20,000 .

It's that same rigidity that awarded the model Y five stars in the side pole test at just 7.9% .

The model wise rollover risk is one of the lowest ever recorded for an S U V by the N H T S A .

This is directly related to the car's low center of gravity .

Thanks to the heavy battery pack that sits in the floor of the vehicle in Tesla's in house test .

You can see how the model Y continues to return to an upright position even when it's shot off the side of this hill for Tesla safety is engineered into the design of every car .

It has been improving the architecture of its vehicles since the model s in 2012 building .

The model Y from the model three's platform all but guaranteed a safe vehicle .

The further fortified structure and larger crumple zones are a testament to its commitment to vehicle safety .