IIHS: Tesla’s Model S is Safe, But Not Super Safe

Tesla has always made a big deal about how safe its electric cars are, and frequently boast about how they have the highest ratings at the NHTSA. But the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a vehicle testing outfit run by the insurance industry, threw some shade on the company in its latest report. The body says that Tesla’s Model S falls just short of winning its top safety award, which was scooped by the Mercedes-Benz E Class, Lincoln Continental and the Toyota Avalon.

The sticking point with the Model S, and other vehicles like the Chevy Impala and Ford Taurus, is down to a specific examination the IIHS runs. Back in 2012, the body began running the Small Overlap Frontal Test, which crashes into 25 percent of the body at 40 miles per hour. The examination is the equivalent of some yahoo crossing the median strip on a highway and smashing into your front fender. It’s the sort of crash that puts far more stress on your car’s structure, and also causes plenty of serious injuries.