Featured Image Credit: CAERI
Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai’s locally-made Model 3 displayed tremendous safety improvements in crash tests conducted by the China Insurance Research Institute, beating even its own stellar results from the Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) last year. This proves once more that Tesla’s vehicles are undergoing a consistent process of evolution, and this includes their safety features and design.
Last year, the Tesla Model 3 performed a clean sweep of perfect safety ratings from several agencies. These included the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro-NCAP), the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), and the IIHS. In each of these agency’s crash tests, the Model 3 performed admirably, gaining perfect safety ratings.
The first safety agency in China that conducted a crash safety test for Gigafactory Shanghai’s locally-produced Model 3 was the China Insurance Research Institute, whose tests are very similar to that of the IIHS. True to form, the Model 3 performed admirably during the CIRI’s evaluations, engaging its airbags seamlessly and using its all-electric design to optimize its occupants' protection.
Credit: CAERI
But then, photos of the aftermath of CIRI’s tests showed something remarkable. Based on images of the aftermath of the China-made Model 3’s crash tests, it seemed like the locally-produced vehicle actually performed better than the Model 3 tested last year by the IIHS.
As could be seen in images from the CIRI’s test, there was almost no intrusion to the cabin of the China-made Model 3 following what appeared to be the driver-side small overlap front test. There was also barely any bending in the frame of the Model 3, and the crash test dummy seemed perfectly fine. This is an improvement over the results from the Model 3’s test from the IIHS last year, which resulted in a slightly more bended A column.
These results bode well for Tesla’s China-made Model 3. It also proves that Tesla is indeed adopting constant improvements to its vehicles’ design, even if they are already practically perfect. It is very rare to see a vehicle that aced the safety tests of the NHTSA, IIHS, Euro-NCAP, and ANCAP being improved further, but here we are. Ultimately every Model 3 buyer today, regardless of whether their vehicle was produced in Fremont or Shanghai, are all but guaranteed that they will receive a car that features the company’s improved safety designs.
But with the CIRI’s tests and initial findings, it appears that the Tesla Model 3 will keep its crown as one of the industry’s safest vehicles for some time.
About the Author
Ma. Claribelle Deveza
Longtime writer and news/book editor. Writing about Tesla allows me to contribute something good to the world, while doing something I love.
