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Insurance group: 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.
Tesla crash tests prove Model S is the safest car on the road
The Tesla Model S' all-electric infrastructure is being credited with a heck of a lot more than top-notch energy efficiency. Because of the design, the vehicle lacks a large gasoline engine block up front, boosting the "crumple zone" and ultimately saving lives during an otherwise deadly crash. As a result, the sedan scored a combined record of 5.4 stars during a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) test. That figure is higher than the maximum published rating of 5 stars, but Tesla received a more comprehensive report detailing actual results. The Model S also earned high marks with its rear-crash, side-pole-intrusion and rollover tests. Additionally, the lithium-ion battery did not catch fire at any time, and it never has in a Roadster or Model S -- the same can't be said for certain competitors.
Tesla CEO tweets that crash testing is complete, Model S production ready to roll
As the world awaits the arrival of Tesla's Model S, CEO Elon Musk has triumphantly tweeted (it was a busy night) that the car has passed all crash testing for a five star rating. The upshot, other than assuring prospective owners of their safety even if their limited edition ride gets dinged, is that cars can be built for sale and the first customer deliveries are scheduled for June 22nd -- just ahead of the original July projections. We've already had seat time in the sporty sedan, and if predictions hold, about half of the 10,000 who have preordered so far should get their shot in 2012, before production ramps up to 20,000 units in 2013. With a pricetag of up to $77,400 it may be time to make sure your financing is in order, although we're sure there others on the list who wouldn't mind moving up one bit. While you're counting down to the arrival of your own Model S (if, indeed, you ordered one) check out the source links for more info. [Thanks, Adam]
Chevy Volt under 'formal safety investigation' by NHTSA due to post-crash fire concerns
The Chevy Volt's lithium-ion battery may be great for a lot of things -- like low gasoline-dependency, for instance -- but when it comes to government regulated crash tests, it's proving to be a fiery problem. As the story goes, back in May, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration put a Volt through standard side-impact crash testing, and in doing so, "the vehicle's battery was damaged and the coolant line was ruptured." The big issue? The car went up in flames multiple weeks later, seemingly as direct result. That event prompted the NHTSA to further study the safety of the batts in the period after a crash, which culminated in more tests performed just over a week ago to find out if they would prove volatile again -- simply put, they did. The group recently explained that it's "concerned that damage to the Volt's batteries as part of three tests that are explicitly designed to replicate real-world crash scenarios have resulted in fire." Because of this development, the NHTSA (with assistance from the Department of Defense, Department of Energy and General Motors itself) has officially launched a formal investigation into the Volt to ensure that its current battery implementation isn't a safety defect. Despite the announcement, the agency notes that of all the Volts currently zipping along the streets, there has yet to be a to be a similar incident out on the open road. The NHTSA further clarified that there's not yet any reason for current owners to worry, so long as they haven't been in an accident with their vehicle. Overall, GM describes the whole investigation as "procedural" at this point, stating that both GM has been working with the NHTSA for over six months on a "broader program designed to induce battery failure after extreme situations." Seems a bit late at this point, but in any event, you'll find full details in the press releases from both parties just past the break.
Tesla opens its workshop, shows off more Model S prototypes
It's expected that when the Tesla Model S hits full production it'll be rolling out of the company's newly acquired facility in Fremont, California -- formerly the NUMMI plant jointly owned by General Motors and Toyota. For now, though, the cars are being put together at Tesla HQ in Palo Alto and the company invited some media to go check things out. GigaOM has some pictures showing various Teslas in various states of disassembly, including motor and rear suspension assemblies about to be bolted in, and Chief Engineer Peter Rawlinson talking about the car's massive front radiator assembly. Oh, and the matte orange models? No, they're sadly not the first examples of a special General Lee edition. Those cars are destined to be run into various walls at various speeds to test the car's performance in a crash, much like this poor Volvo was. Do spare a thought.
Gordon Murray's electric T.27 city car crashed in the name of science, holds up beautifully
We asked for some crazy things in our vision of the car of the future, and we're learning that many of them can be found in Gordon Murray's implementation of his car of tomorrow, the T.27. EV power? Check. Odd central seating? Check. Racing-inspired safety measures? Double-check, as evidenced by these crash test photos which, as you can see, are remarkably close to the company's computer simulations. It's a tiny thing, just a little over eight feet long and weighing under 1,500lbs, though for that you'll get a top seed of about 65mph and a range of between 80 and 100 miles -- and the ability to run into a wall at a 40 percent offset without injury. Running prototypes are expected on the road in just a few months and, with any luck, production versions of this (and the gasoline-powered T.25) could be hitting the streets by next year. %Gallery-114753%
ADAC crash tests first production Mitsubishi i-MiEV, it makes a mess but scores well
Looks like Volvo's C30 Electric isn't the only EV paying a heavy price for wanting to be run on the roads. Mitsubishi's i-MiEV, one of the first modern full-bore electric autos to be promised to hit US shores (but certainly not the first to make it), has just been subjected to crash testing by the ADAC, Europe's largest motorist club. The car went through both 40mph frontal and rear offset impacts, similar to the sort used by our own humble NHTSA. The car didn't score perfect marks, with some deformation in the footwell, but there were no major problems noted and, most importantly, the electrical systems safety cut automatically upon impact. This means no surprise electrocutions for anyone on the inside or out, which is a good thing -- unless you're a mutant lizard who enjoys such things. Update: We've updated the source link to the ADAC site, where you can see some additional images and even video of the crash. You'll need to exit the Google Translation window to view them, though.
Volvo crashes C30 EV so you don't have to, doesn't spill a drop of battery juice (video)
Try as it might to act hip and young, Volvo is still a company that's associated with the name "safety," and that's really not a bad thing. Demonstrations like this help to reinforce that, with the company taking great pride in its C30 EV holding up as well as it did in a crash. It was subjected to a 40mph offset and, while it's looking mighty deranged, no portions of the electric drivetrain were compromised. In other words: no battery goo leaked and no first responders would have been zapped. If that's all a little too ghastly for you, fear not: there are plenty of pictures of a beautiful E30 with nary a body panel askew, including a peek into its trunk, which doesn't appear to have been nearly as negatively affected as the poor Focus Electric. Update: Video after the break! %Gallery-113973%
GM's new crash test dummies can say 'ouch!' 10,000 times a second
General Motors may have gone through a teeny tiny bankruptcy problem, but that doesn't mean it's behind the times. The American motor maker's just unveiled its latest crash test dummies -- or anthropomorphic testing devices, to give them their highfalutin title -- which are capable of beaming out status reports 10,000 times per second. Equipped with 70 to 80 sensors each, the new family of test devices spans a wide range of potential passengers, from fully grown males to toddlers, though it is slightly disappointing to see they all have washboard abs and perfect posture. Come now, GM, we'd hardly call a race of perfectly sculpted drones that can speak fast enough to converse with a hummingbird representative. Video and the full press release can be found after the break.
Volvo pedestrian avoidance test goes horribly, comically wrong (video)
Hey, can't fault 'em for trying! Volvo, which is widely recognized as one of the safer automakers on the planet, is apparently developing a new pedestrian avoidance system for its motorcars. The concept is pretty simple -- if your car senses a human in the way of its path, it's supposed to alert you, suggest you brake and generally help you avoid tacking a hit 'n run onto your already impressive rap sheet. As you'll so clearly see in the video embedded after the break, there's a reason the automobile industry relies on dummies for crash testing. For what it's worth, the test was successful the majority of the time, with this particular snafu blamed on improper placement of said dummy. Of course, we certainly hope no one at Volvo expects "improper placement of a human" to excuse the system once implemented in the real world...
