www.csua.org/u/11bw -> theweek.com/article/index/248468/why-teslas-model-s-is-the-safest-car-ever
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Harold Maass | August 20, 2013 The Model S has a low center of gravity that prevents roll-overs. The Model S has a low center of gravity that prevents roll-overs.
highest safety rating the National Highway Safety Administration had ever bestowed on a vehicle. "Of all vehicles tested, including every major make and model approved for sale in the United States, the Model S set a new record for the lowest likelihood of injury to occupants," the company boasted, with a bravado that is typical of CEO Elon Musk. The Model S scored a 54 on the agency's 5-star scale, getting perfect marks in every category and out-performing the NHTSA's highest standards in others. One reason: It's an electric car, which means that it has a battery-powered engine up front that is not as big as a conventional engine filled with combustible fuel. That gives it a larger crumple zone to absorb a high-speed, head-on impact. It also has a heavy battery pack mounted beneath the floor, giving it a low center of gravity that made the car impossible to roll over using the standard testing methods. That same stability also gave the test vehicle exceptional handling, a safety plus in treacherous driving conditions.
Ashlee Vance at Bloomberg Businessweek noted that when the safety regulators tried to test the vehicle's roof strength by crushing it, "the crusher was crushed." The testing machine failed after exerting pressure equal to piling four other Model S's on the vehicle's roof; indeed, the testers still don't know how many cars you could put on top of the Model S before it caves in. "So, Model S owners, you can sleep easy if a Carnado ever rolls through town," Vance said.
"But not everyone will be able to benefit from the resounding success of the Tesla. At a price tag of $60,000 to 90,000 per vehicle, the safety that comes from a Model S is far out of reach for the majority of consumers."
He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 launch of the US print edition. Harold has worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, Fox News, and ABC News.
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