Tesla Model S Receives Five Stars At Euro NCAP

The tests have basically put on the spot, once again, the high level of active and passive safety of the Model S, which in addition to the five stars achieves high scores in almost every other aspect, from protection of the driver and occupants to protection of pedestrians; surpassing other EV rival models such as the Mercedes-EQE or the NIO ET7.

The Model S features a dual-motor, all-wheel drive layout, although earlier versions of the Model S featured a rear-motor and rear-wheel drive layout. Development of the Model S began prior to 2007, under the codename "WhiteStar". Going back in time, the Model S was officially announced on June 30, 2008, and a prototype vehicle was unveiled in March 2009. The Model S debuted on June 22, 2012. A revised, dual-motor, all-wheel-drive version, known as the 60D, debuted on October 9, 2014. The 60D was followed by the 70D, which made dual-motor and all-wheel drive the standard, followed by the 85D, P85D, and P90D.

Along with these updates, Tesla offered the Autopilot driving assistance system. In April 2016, the Model S was updated with a new front hood design. In October of the same year, hardware became standard that supported Tesla's Full Self Driving (FSD) capability. As part of the update, integrated standard cameras around the car were added. In February 2017 the Tesla Model S P100D debuted, which included a revised motor and was the first electric vehicle to have an EPA estimated range exceeding 300 miles (483 km). A refresh of the Tesla Model S, codenamed "Palladium", was introduced in June 2021, offering a new "Plaid" performance model, along with a revised interior, powertrain, and suspension.

The Model S became the first electric car to top the monthly new-car-sales ranking in any country, leading twice in Norway, in September and December 2013, and in Denmark in December 2015. Sales surpassed 250,000 units in September 2018. The Model S was the top-selling plug-in electric car worldwide in 2015 and 2016, although it was later surpassed by the Tesla Model 3.

Back in 2022, at the Euro NCAP tests the Tesla Model S Scored 98% in safety assistance; 91% in Child Occupant Protection; 94% in Adult Occupant Protection; maximum score in the Impact on the Opposite Side subsection; and full marks in the Rescue, Extraction and Security subsection. As we can see, the Model S achieves an especially high figure in safety assistance systems, where it achieves a near perfect score of 98%. Another separate, specific section is where FSD (Autopilot) is placed as the market leader and which also places the Model S well ahead of its main rivals.

The Tesla Model S Dual Motor AWD 'Premium' LHD, as a reminder, will begin its deliveries in Europe at the beginning of December 2022, including the explosive Plaid version with its 1,020 CV, which will become one of the fastest cars on the market (that is, including ICE – Internal Combustion Engine cars); but as we can clearly see according to NCAP, also one of the safest.

Source: EuroNCAP

All images courtesy of Tesla Inc.

Nico Caballero is the VP of Finance of Cogency Power, specializing in solar energy. He also holds a Diploma in Electric Cars from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, and enjoys doing research about Tesla and EV batteries. He can be reached at @NicoTorqueNews on Twitter. Nico covers Tesla and electric vehicle latest happenings at Torque News.