Hope Model X does this well on the new small overlap crash test

[rogbmw]

IIHS just tested the Volvo XC90 on the small overlap crash test and released the video a 2 days ago. It scored the best category available on the new small overlap crash test. Hope that the Model X will do as well or better.

This crash test is really tearing up many of the SUV's. The Mazda CX-9 failed miserably and received a test rating of Poor. Here is a link to its test. Just look at the way the A-Pillar deformed in the test.

http://jalopnik.com/watch-this-absolutely-brutal-crash-test-of-a-mazda-cx-9-1560931424

 

[Vitold]

It is interesting to note that Model S has never been tested for small overlap crash.

Many cars fail this test but even 20k Subaru can do it - there is really no excuse:

[video]http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/subaru/forester-4-door-suv#inline[/video]

 

[AnOutsider]

Should be interesting to see how this pans out. One of the plusses to owning a Tesla is safety, so I'd imagine that would be at the top of their list.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Not sure if it really matters when the pax have placed their heads in the ample frunk and their bodies in the queen-sized bed that is the folded third row.

 

[lloyds]

any word on when the X would be tested?

 

[joshua.MA]

Link to the protocol for those interested.
http://www.iihs.org/media/ec54a7ea-1a1d-4fb2-8fc3-b2e018db2082/691118402/Ratings/Protocols/current/small_overlap_test_protocol.pdf


The test is conducted at 40 MPH.

 

[trils0n]

I don't think the IIHS tested the Model S at all. I think their excuse was it wasn't going to sell enough to be tested. Wonder if they will test the Model X. Pretty confident it will ace any tests though, just like the Model S did for the NHTSA tests.

 

[Petra]

I don't think the IIHS tested the Model S at all. I think their excuse was it wasn't going to sell enough to be tested. Wonder if they will test the Model X. Pretty confident it will ace any tests though, just like the Model S did for the NHTSA tests.

That's correct, the IIHS has never tested the Model S and have stated that they don't currently have plans to due to the vehicle being a high cost, low volume vehicle. The same can be said of the BMW 7-Series, Audi A8, Mercedes S-Class, Mercedes G-Class, etc. They also don't test anything that they deem a "sports car" which is why they've never tested cars like the Mazda Miata.

 

[EarlyAdopter]

I've always assumed the Model S would do well in the IIHS small overlap test due to the way the front intrusion beams curve outwards as they meet the front of the battery pack, deflecting any intrusion away from the battery pack and thus the passenger compartment.

 

[leh22a]

It is interesting to note that Model S has never been tested for small overlap crash.

Many cars fail this test but even 20k Subaru can do it - there is really no excuse:

[video]http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/subaru/forester-4-door-suv#inline[/video]

Europe did test the over lap crash test for the S and from what I remember, the S scored the highest scoreon their rating system as well. I also recall tesla crash videos here in the states that were performed by Tesla and not government organizations

Euro NCAP Crash Test of Tesla Model S 2014 - YouTube

sorry, still learning how to post videos and pics.

 

[goneskiian]

Thanks leh22a. Found this one in the links to the one you linked to. ;-)

Seems to start with the S offset video.

[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hTC6cro_ZVo[/video]

Nevermind. Same video different link. ;-)

 

[mrdoubleb]

Europe did test the over lap crash test for the S and from what I remember, the S scored the highest scoreon their rating system as well. I also recall tesla crash videos here in the states that were performed by Tesla and not government organizations

Euro NCAP Crash Test of Tesla Model S 2014 - YouTube

sorry, still learning how to post videos and pics.

That`s not quite the same. The S has been tested with what appears to be the standard 40% overlap at NCAP. Most manufacturers have mastered that pretty well by now, that`s why you get 5 stars even on small cars these days.

What the IIHS is doing is much more devastating, though. First time I see this kind of testing and quite frankly, after getting hooked on those Russian dashcam videos on YouTube this seems to be quite justified. Very frequently drivers react at the last moment, try to "save it" and the cars crash with only a very little front overlap. If you check some of the IIHS videos you`ll see that most cars that pass the standard 40% test with flying colors get completely annihilated with this new method, the passenger cage crumbles and the dummies measure serious injuries.

Here is a pic of the difference I stole from somewhere on the interwebs.

 

[Spidy]

IIHS just tested the Volvo XC90 on the small overlap crash test and released the video a 2 days ago. It scored the best category available on the new small overlap crash test. Hope that the Model X will do as well or better.

Volvo cars are heavily designed for safety. You can see how much ultra high strength steel they put there.

Volvo: Scalable Architecture, Like Everything Else, Is About Safety | TechnologyTell

Many cars fail this test but even 20k Subaru can do it - there is really no excuse:

Except that price has very little to do with it. If at all more luxurious vehicles will have a hard time passing it as they usually come with all kinds of extras. Also manufacturers like BMW who focus on driving experience will have more trouble meeting safety goals than a manufacturer that doesn't care if it handles like a truck.

I've always assumed the Model S would do well in the IIHS small overlap test due to the way the front intrusion beams curve outwards as they meet the front of the battery pack, deflecting any intrusion away from the battery pack and thus the passenger compartment.

View attachment 94849

I doubt that will do much when you press a rubber tire against it. There is probably too much friction and it won't juts plop outwards.

That`s not quite the same. The S has been tested with what appears to be the standard 40% overlap at NCAP. Most manufacturers have mastered that pretty well by now, that`s why you get 5 stars even on small cars these days.

What the IIHS is doing is much more devastating, though. First time I see this kind of testing and quite frankly, after getting hooked on those Russian dashcam videos on YouTube this seems to be quite justified. Very frequently drivers react at the last moment, try to "save it" and the cars crash with only a very little front overlap. If you check some of the IIHS videos you`ll see that most cars that pass the standard 40% test with flying colors get completely annihilated with this new method, the passenger cage crumbles and the dummies measure serious injuries.

Here is a pic of the difference I stole from somewhere on the interwebs.
View attachment 94988

You mean the cars crash with each other? That's not what this crash shows! Small Overlap test shows a collision with a solid static object. When two cars collide then A. The other car will crumple, too. B. Both cars will twist.

 

[mrdoubleb]

You mean the cars crash with each other? That's not what this crash shows! Small Overlap test shows a collision with a solid static object. When two cars collide then A. The other car will crumple, too. B. Both cars will twist.

True, when 2 cars have a head-on collision, both crumple, though the speeds/forces are higher too as they add up. But there are plenty of cases when the driver rear-ends another car with a similarly small overlap as they do not judge the side distance correctly while overtaking or they are forced to pull back to their own lane as they run out of space during the overtake maneuver - though these would be collisions on the car`s right side.
Regardless, it appears to me this test puts a much bigger strain on the design as there is a lot less space to absorb the crash forces, so safe to say a car that does well on this should have no problems with the standard 40% overlap test.

 

[goneskiian]

That`s not quite the same. The S has been tested with what appears to be the standard 40% overlap at NCAP. Most manufacturers have mastered that pretty well by now, that`s why you get 5 stars even on small cars these days.

What the IIHS is doing is much more devastating, though. First time I see this kind of testing and quite frankly, after getting hooked on those Russian dashcam videos on YouTube this seems to be quite justified. Very frequently drivers react at the last moment, try to "save it" and the cars crash with only a very little front overlap. If you check some of the IIHS videos you`ll see that most cars that pass the standard 40% test with flying colors get completely annihilated with this new method, the passenger cage crumbles and the dummies measure serious injuries.

Here is a pic of the difference I stole from somewhere on the interwebs.
View attachment 94988

Thanks for clarifying the differences. Very troubling indeed. Hope to see the S and X perform well on these.

 

[trils0n]

I remember Tesla saying the Model S was designed to pass the small overlap test. They said they designed the car to beat all the tests, and then went through and reinforced/re-engineered weaker areas, and tested the car again. They did this process multiple times, in all sorts of scenarios, to make sure the car was actually safe, and not just built to pass the tests. I'm sure the Model X will be the same. Model S has the largest front crumple zone of any car, and Model X will be similar. They have been designed to pass this test, and more.

 

[Vitold]

Volvo cars are heavily designed for safety. You can see how much ultra high strength steel they put there.



Except that price has very little to do with it. If at all more luxurious vehicles will have a hard time passing it as they usually come with all kinds of extras. Also manufacturers like BMW who focus on driving experience will have more trouble meeting safety goals than a manufacturer that doesn't care if it handles like a truck.

Small offset test puts large amount of stress on a very small area of the car which requires frame redesign AND new (more expensive) materials such as high strength steel. Luxury cars are usually larger and less price sensitive allowing for better engineering...if manufacturer cares enough. German/European manufacturer's may be, initially, at disadvantage because they design for European standards but there's nothing stopping them from building safer cars, certainly not suspension or luxury tech.

You mean the cars crash with each other? That's not what this crash shows! Small Overlap test shows a collision with a solid static object. When two cars collide then A. The other car will crumple, too. B. Both cars will twist.

Small overlap test is designed to approximate better certain head on collisions and point out structural weaknesses or design flaws (one should see other small overlap crash tests where steering column moves to a side...and the airbag with it).

In small overlap a car is made to collide with stationary object as it's easier to interpolate results, it's less expensive, more reproducible and results in less noise in the data collected. It's no different than other crash tests.


EDIT: Example of airbag moving away from the driver resulting in bloody nose and more (@35sec):

 

[EarlyAdopter]

Volvo cars are heavily designed for safety. You can see how much ultra high strength steel they put there.

Agreed. There are only three brands I will put my family in, given a choice - Volvo, Tesla, and Subaru. In my experience, only those three have shown consistent attention to crash safety, and in the case of Volvo and Subaru, pre-preemptively passing the small overlap test (and Tesla likely as well, per their statements about designing to the test).

I doubt that will do much when you press a rubber tire against it. There is probably too much friction and it won't juts plop outwards.

It's about deflecting energy outwards, and moving the car out of the way of the intruding obstacle. Given that deflection beam plus the reinforcement of the battery pack itself, it seems incredibly unlikely that something would intrude into the passenger compartment. Would love to see the actual test though.

You mean the cars crash with each other? That's not what this crash shows! Small Overlap test shows a collision with a solid static object. When two cars collide then A. The other car will crumple, too. B. Both cars will twist.

A single car colliding with an immovable barrier at a given speed, say 40mph, will impart the same impact energy into the test car as two cars of equal weight colliding with each other at that same speed (40mph + 40mph). It's recognized as an effective test practice.

 

[leh22a]

That`s not quite the same. The S has been tested with what appears to be the standard 40% overlap at NCAP. Most manufacturers have mastered that pretty well by now, that`s why you get 5 stars even on small cars these days.

What the IIHS is doing is much more devastating, though. First time I see this kind of testing and quite frankly, after getting hooked on those Russian dashcam videos on YouTube this seems to be quite justified. Very frequently drivers react at the last moment, try to "save it" and the cars crash with only a very little front overlap. If you check some of the IIHS videos you`ll see that most cars that pass the standard 40% test with flying colors get completely annihilated with this new method, the passenger cage crumbles and the dummies measure serious injuries.

Here is a pic of the difference I stole from somewhere on the interwebs.
View attachment 94988

Duly noted! Thanks for clarifying. As yall have mentioned, I don't think we've seen videos of the S in these tests.

 

[AustinPowers]

Agreed. There are only three brands I will put my family in, given a choice - Volvo, Tesla, and Subaru. In my experience, only those three have shown consistent attention to crash safety, and in the case of Volvo and Subaru, pre-preemptively passing the small overlap test (and Tesla likely as well, per their statements about designing to the test).

Don't know about Subaru, but you missed out two other important brands that have consistently put safety at the top of their list: Saab and Mercedes. I know Saab isn't around any longer, but given the choice I would rather sit in a twenty year old Saab during a crash than in a 2016 Toyota, Chevrolet or Fiat.

I remember an Episode of Top Gear where they did a Saab special and crash tested an old Saab versus a similarly old BMW 3 series by dropping both on a concrete floor from a certain hight. The results of the Saab were amazing.