Euro NCAP awards Tesla Model 3 a flawless 5-star safety rank
Tesla Model 3 Achieves Perfect Safety Ratings
The Tesla Model 3, an electric sedan by the automotive giant, has impressed safety regulators with its perfect 5-star rating in both Euro NCAP and ANCAP crash tests. This top score is a testament to Tesla's commitment to safety and innovative technology.
The Model 3's success is built on a combination of advanced active safety systems, robust passive crash protection design, and a proven track record of avoiding and mitigating serious collisions.
Innovative Safety Features
Some of the key safety features that contributed to this perfect score include autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, speed limit assistance, cyclist detection, and crash avoidance technology. These features, integrated into the Autopilot and Full Self-Driving hardware suite, have consistently earned the Model 3 and its sibling Model Y high marks for reducing the likelihood and severity of accidents.
The Model 3 also boasts a rigid passenger safety cell, multiple airbags, and crumple zones engineered to absorb impact energy effectively during frontal, side, and rollover crashes. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and other mandatory safety equipment ensure that the Model 3 meets or exceeds ANCAP and Euro NCAP requirements for five-star status.
Active Hood and Child Protection
The Model 3 features an Active Hood that lifts automatically during a collision to minimize injury to pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, the vehicle includes a Front-Centre Airbag to help prevent occupant head clashes in side impacts.
The Model 3's use of direct child presence detection, structural reinforcements, and energy-absorbing bodywork has contributed to its impressive results in child protection. The vehicle topped the charts in child protection categories, with its performance in Child Occupant Protection the highest ever recorded under current testing guidelines.
The Model 3 also includes a Child Left Alone Detection system that uses in-cabin radar to detect an unattended child, then automatically activates HVAC and notifies the caregiver via the Tesla app, lights, and audible alerts.
Performance in Demanding Conditions
Both Euro NCAP and ANCAP now test vehicles under more demanding conditions. The Model 3 scored 90% for Adult Occupant Protection, 95% for Child Occupant Protection, 89% for Vulnerable Road User Protection, and 88% for Safety Assist Systems. These scores place the Model 3 among the safest vehicles on the road and set a new benchmark for electric sedans tested under the 2025 protocols.
The Model 3's relatively moderate weight compared to other EVs helped it perform well in the Mobile Progressive Deformable Barrier (MPDB) test. The vehicle also has enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) that improves detection of motorcycles and crossing traffic.
The Model 3's Safety Legacy
The Model 3's 5-star rating has been adopted by ANCAP, Australia's safety authority, and is retroactively applied to all Model 3 units built since September 2023. The rating is valid through 2031.
The early versions of the refreshed Highland model, which had previously gone unrated due to structural updates and a lack of initial compliance with local regulations, are included in this rating.
The Model 3's perfect Euro NCAP and ANCAP ratings reflect a combination of innovative active safety technologies, robust passive crash protection design, and a proven track record of avoiding and mitigating serious collisions through intelligent driver assistance systems. This mix of structural integrity and comprehensive active safety electronics underpins the vehicle’s "five-star safety grand slam" rating in global safety evaluations.
The Tesla Model 3's perfect safety ratings are a testament to its integration of cutting-edge safety technologies, such as electric-vehicle (EV) systems like autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, speed limit assistance, cyclist detection, and crash avoidance technology, all of which contribute to reduced accident likelihood and severity. This electric-sedan's continuous adoption of technology echoes the broader lifestyle trend of embracing advanced technological innovations for enhanced safety.
Moreover, the Model 3's impressive child protection results, including direct child presence detection, structural reinforcements, energy-absorbing bodywork, and a Child Left Alone Detection system, demonstrate the vehicle's commitment to prioritizing safety for all road users, aligning with a societal shift towards sustainable, family-friendly lifestyles that value the well-being of both adults and children.
