2018 Tesla Model S

large luxury car / 4-door hatchback

Fully electric
2018 Tesla Model S 4-door hatchback
2017 Tesla Model S shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Headlights
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Standard system (built after October 2016)
Superior

Other available safety features

  • Standard blind spot detection
  • Standard lane departure warning & prevention

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2016-18 models built after October 2016

Tested vehicle: 2016 Tesla Model S 60 4-door

Rating does not apply to Model S P100D. Rating of this model is Acceptable.

Overall evaluation
Curb weight4,452 lbs
Peak force19,271 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio4.33

About the roof strength test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Power leather seat

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Power leather seat
Geometry
Backset (mm) 10
Distance below top of head (mm) 5
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g) 13.2
Head contact time (ms) 58
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 0
Max neck tension (N) 279

About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.

Headlights

Trim level(s)

  • All trims
Low-beam headlight typeLED reflector
High-beam headlight typeLED reflector
Curve-adaptive?Yes
High-beam assist?Yes
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:
car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler 0 ft 100 ft 200 ft 300 ft 400 ft 500 ft 600 ft Low beams Optimal low-beam illumination High beams Optimal high-beam illumination High-beam assist credit Some glare

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was fair on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests.

The low beams created some glare.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests.

High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the straightaway and all 4 curves.

Technical measurements for this test
Trim level(s)
  • All trims
Low-beam headlight type LED reflector
High-beam headlight type LED reflector
Curve-adaptive? Yes
High-beam assist? Yes
Overall rating
Applies to 2017-21 models
LOW BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Amount glare
exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge 86.3 m 41.3%
Straightaway left edge 48.8 m 41.3%
250m radius right curve, right edge 50.9 m None
250m radius left curve, left edge 45.5 m None
150m radius right curve, right edge 41.7 m None
150m radius left curve, left edge 42.7 m None
HIGH BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge 151.6 m
Straightaway left edge 145.5 m
250m radius right curve, right edge 60.6 m
250m radius left curve, left edge 62.8 m
150m radius right curve, right edge 49.5 m
150m radius left curve, left edge 51.3 m

About the headlight evaluation

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle

System details

  • Standard Automatic Emergency Braking

Overall evaluation

Applies to 2016-21 models built after October 2016

Superior
Superior
  • This system meets the requirements for forward collision warning.
  • In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
  • In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.

About the original front crash prevention test