Tesla's Model S vehicle was awarded a 5-star safety rating this week according to a press release by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Even though the NHTSA doesn't publish records above a 5, the Model S actually scored a 5.4 in the overall Vehicle Safety Score, which is a new record.
"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," Tesla said in a blog post this week. "While the Model S is a sedan, it also exceeded the safety score of all SUVs and minivans. This score takes into account the probability of injury from front, side, rear and rollover accidents."
The NHTSA tests vehicles in side impact, frontal impact, rollover risk, and side pole impact tests.
Click here to see more about how the vehicle did in each test.
Tesla claimed in a blog post that the Model S is the only car to ever receive a rating of "Good" in the side pole test. In the test, the Model S "preserved 63.5 percent of driver residual space."
Only 1 percent of all vehicles tested by the NHTSA get 5 stars in every category.
In comparison, the Volvo S60, a 5-star rated vehicle, received a 7.8 percent for the same crash test according to the NHTSA.
"The Model S lithium-ion battery did not catch fire at any time before, during or after the NHTSA testing," said Tesla in a blog post. "It is worth mentioning that no production Tesla lithium-ion battery has ever caught fire in the Model S or Roadster, despite several high speed impacts. While this is statistically unlikely to remain the case long term, Tesla is unaware of any Model S or Roadster occupant fatalities in any car ever."
The NHTSA said that the Model S only lacks Forward Collision Warning and Lane Departure Warning technology, compared to the Volvo S60 and Cadillac XTS.
The IIHS has yet to post crash test results for the Tesla vehicle.
Related Articles:
2014 Harley-Davidson Lineup Revealed (VIDEO)
B-1 Bomber Crashes in Montana, Four Crew Members Survive
iPhone 5 Production Could End This Fall Thanks to iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C
Ram 1500 Rumble Bee 395-HP Concept Revealed in Michigan (PHOTOS/ VIDEO)
Voyager Becomes First Man-Made Object to Leave The Solar System
See Now: OnePlus 6: How Different Will It Be From OnePlus 5?
