Tesla Model 3 earns new five-star safety rating after hiatus for latest model

The latest Tesla Model 3 electric car has earned top marks in crash testing, nearly 18 months after the score applied to the pre-update model was withheld from the facelifted version amid compliance checks.

The new five-star ANCAP score was tested under the latest and most stringent protocols, including the highest results to date in the Child Occupant Protection and Vulnerable Road User Protection categories to date under the current criteria.

It has been backdated to Model 3 sedans produced since September 2023, when the first examples of the facelifted ‘Highland’ model rolled off the production line.

The five-star rating applied to the original Model 3 – based on 2019 testing – was withheld from the facelift shortly after its Australian arrival, as Tesla informed ANCAP the score was not applicable to the newest model.

It coincided with an investigation by Australian regulators into the updated Model 3 – as revealed by Drive – for missing child-seat anchor points, which would see it fall foul of local motor-vehicle design rules.

“Changes were made to the Model 3 from September 2023 build which saw its existing safety rating unable to carry through. Since then, Tesla Model 3 vehicles have been unrated,” ANCAP said in a media release issued today.

Now the updated Model 3 has passed through the full gamut of ANCAP tests, via its European counterpart Euro NCAP.

It also resets the six-year validity period on ANCAP ratings, the new score expiring in 2031 – rather than the end of 2025, if the updated Model 3 inherited its predecessor’s safety result.

Under the latest 2023-25 test criteria, the Tesla sedan earned scores of 90 per cent in Adult Occupant Protection, 95 per cent in Child Occupant Protection, 89 per cent in Vulnerable Road User Protection, and 88 per cent in Safety Assist technology.

ANCAP has highlighted a front-centre airbag to prevent occupants’ heads clashing in severe side-impact crashes, and an active bonnet that lifts up to soften the blow when a pedestrian or cyclist is struck, for the high scores.

Also contributing is a direct child presence detection system, which alerts the driver, activates the air conditioning, and opens the windows if a child is left in the car.

Full marks were awarded in the side-impact and oblique pole crash tests, and ‘Good’ protection was noted for all “critical body regions” in the frontal-offset crash test, bar ‘Adequate’ coverage for the driver’s chest and both front occupants’ lower legs.

Points were deducted in the Safety Assist category for a driver attention monitor said to be unable to detect distraction, as well as the lack of an intelligent speed limitation function.