EV Engineering News

VIDEO: “The best car of any kind”

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk unveils the Model S beta.

 

As the owner of an EV, you may be the coolest on your street, thumbing your nose as you tool pass the gas station, but you’ll have to settle for a flimsy car that can’t haul much, and would probably make like aluminum foil in a crash, right? Spectacularly wrong, as Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk demonstrates in a promo video for Tesla’s Model S beta.

In the video, Elon cruises suavely on stage, and the doors of the sporty yet elegant sedan open to reveal seven – no wait, make that eight – passengers, with baggage (granted, two of them are rather small passengers). Who knew that the Model S has twice the cargo capacity of most cars in its size class? With no engine in the front, there’s space for a whole extra trunk.

 

 

The open space under the hood also means that the Model S has a crumple zone that’s “about three times longer than a normal sedan would have,” making it arguably safer than any other car in a frontal collision. Also, the location of the battery pack in the floor pan requires a strong, stiff rectangular member at the base of the car, making it exceptionally resistant to side impacts. What about the kids in the “way back?” They’re protected by “double octagonal crash structures.”

Musk wraps up by saying that he “personally spent a great deal of time reviewing the safety of the car,” and that he believes the Model S will be the only car that earns an NHTSA crash rating of five stars in every category.

 

Image: Tesla Motors

Comment
Create Account. Already Registered? Log In

Virtual Conference on EV Engineering: Free to Attend

Don't miss our next Virtual Conference on April 15-18, 2024. Register for the free webinar sessions below and reserve your spot to watch them live or on-demand.

LOAD MORE SESSIONS

EV Engineering Webinars & Whitepapers

EV Tech Explained