
Model Y is Tesla’s latest vehicle to earn a 5-star safety rating from the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP).
As part of this assessment, the Tesla Model Y received the highest Overall Score among any vehicle tested under Euro NCAP’s newest, most stringent test protocol. This was based on an evaluation of Model Y’s ability to protect adults, children and vulnerable road users like cyclists and pedestrians, as well as its safety assistance features.
Euro NCAP used new Model Y vehicles, built in Tesla’s Berlin Gigafactory, featuring carmaker’s latest manufacturing techniques and safety features to complete their assessment:
– Rear Underbody Casting: The rear underbody casting combined with Tesla’s fortified battery pack provides immense crash strength to the safety cell, helping to maintain compartment integrity. This strength allows advanced restraint systems to deploy effectively inside the cabin, holding occupants in place and providing protection against cabin intrusions.
– Far-Side Airbag: Provides additional protection during side impacts, especially when there are two front occupants. This airbag deploys between the front seats to help prevent head injuries that could be caused by occupant-to-occupant contact.
– Multi-Collision Braking: Automatically applies the vehicle braking system after a collision to help prevent a secondary impact.
– Collision Avoidance Driver Monitoring System: Uses direct monitoring to detect a distracted driver and automatically adjusts the sensitivity of the Forward Collision Warning system to be more reactive.
Model Y also received a leading score of 98 percent in Euro NCAP’s Safety Assist category. This result was achieved with Model Y vehicles equipped with Tesla Vision, company’s camera vision and neural net processing system that now comes standard in all Tesla vehicles delivered in North America and Europe.
Additionally, Automatic Emergency Braking continues to see major improvements during vehicle turning-across-path scenarios and when reversing with vulnerable road users in its route. Model Y also scored full points in the Lane Support System category. Lane Support Systems help reduce accidental road departures–one of the main causes of single vehicle and frontal crashes according to Euro NCAP.
NCAP also tested all-electric newcomer from China’s Great Wall Motor Company – the ORA Funky Cat. The ORA Funky Cat small electric hatchback also achieved a five-star rating. It scored 83% for adult occupant protection, 83% for child occupants and 74% for vulnerable road users. The Funky Cat’s safety assist systems scored 93%.