Tesla Model 3 EV scores five stars in Euro NCAP safety rating
The Tesla Model 3 has scored a five-star safety rating in the Euro NCAP safety tests. The car tested was the Long Range version and scored an adult occupant score of 97%. The child occupant and pedestrian safety scores were slightly lower at 86% and 74%. The Model 3 competes with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4 and BMW 3-Series, as an EV alternative.
The NCAP testers noted that the passenger compartment remained stable in the frontal offset test. The Tesla showed a similar level of protection for occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions. The full-width rigid barrier test and in the side barrier test, the Tesla 3 scored maximum points. The standard-fit autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system scored maximum points in tests of its functionality at the low speeds.
In terms of child safety, the front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. Further, clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag. The lower pedestrian safety scores are because protection provided by the bonnet to the head of a struck pedestrian was mixed. In most areas protection was adequate, but the base of the windscreen and the stiff windscreen pillars offered poor performance.
The Model 3 Long Range has a 560km claimed range according to the WLTP cycle. It gets from 0 to 100 kmph in 4.8s. This time drops to 3.5s in the Performance version, which also gets 20-inch wheels, in place of the standard 18-inch or optional 19-inchers in the Long Range. The Performance version's range is 530km, both weigh 1,847kg.