The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave a perfect five-star crash rating on the Tesla Model X, making it the first SUV in the agency's history to receive such a grade and allowing the electric vehicle to claim the title as the safest SUV.
The Model X received five stars in all categories and subcategories for the crash tests that the NHTSA conducted. A pair of uploaded videos showed what happened to the electric SUV in the crash tests, which the Model X passed with flying colors.
Tesla Model X: The Safest SUV
Tesla did not waste time in announcing the five-star rating after the NHTSA released the grade for the Model X through a blog post on its official website.
In addition to Tesla touting the perfect rating for the Model X, the company also noted that the tests by the NHTSA showed that the Model X features the lowest probability of injury to the driver and passengers out of all the SUV models that the agency has analyzed. In fact, the Model X came in second in that statistic out of all vehicles tested by the NHTSA. The top vehicle? The Tesla Model S.
Tesla explains that the Model X performs much better in crash tests compared to gasoline-powered SUVs primarily because of its powertrain design and all-electric architecture. The center of gravity of the electric SUV is very low because its fortified battery pack is placed beneath its floor, giving the Model X the lowest probability to roll over among all SUVs. The NHTSA was not even able to tip the Model X over when it tried during testing.
Tesla ends its post by stating that, if a Model X is involved in a serious accident, the driver and passengers have a 93 percent chance of surviving the crash without suffering from a serious injury.
The NHTSA subjected the Model X to a variety of crash tests, two of which can be viewed through a pair of videos that have been uploaded on YouTube. While the videos showed the Model X being subjected to different kinds of damage, the electric SUV was able hold much of its form throughout the tests.
A Tesla automation consultant who rented a Model X for his wedding should serve as real-world proof on how safe the electric SUV is. On his way home from the rehearsal dinner at the night before his wedding, a stolen vehicle crashed into the driver's door of the Model X at 65 miles per hour.
According to the groom, who identified himself simply as Mr. Tran, the Model X saved his life. If he was driving another vehicle, the impact may have had horrible consequences, including possibly ending his life right on the spot.
Tesla Model X, Model 3 Issues
The perfect five-star rating for the Model X comes at a great time for Tesla, as it provides a boost to the company as it prepares to start wide-scale production of the mass-market Model 3 electric sedan.
The Model X, however, has struggled in sales, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk admitting that it was a bad move to cram all the company's technology into the SUV. The name of the Model 3, meanwhile, is causing confusion among customers, as some think that it is the next-generation Model S.
