Video is deceiving. Tesla impact has the post angled to hit lower frame first. Volvo hits square on.

 

I think that's a difference in camera angle and not in the post. I have never seen a side impact done with a slanted pole??

I found a lo.ger version of the video here:

 

First of all, this comparison is not fair. The Volvo S60 is a seven years old construction and the Model 3 is brand new. But: The side impact test of the S90 doesn't look much different than the one of the S60:

However, Volvos do always get the highest marks in crash tests, even in side impact tests. Volvo may know that the danger of body injuries doesn't depend on how far a pole intrudes into the side. There are side curtain airbags to prevent injuries. The video comparison looks impressive but may not do justice to the scientific factors of good crash behaviour.

 

First of all, this comparison is not fair. The Volvo S60 is a seven years old construction and the Model 3 is brand new

Its fair, how long has the Model S been in production? Volvo chose to prioritize developing new SUVs first which makes since due to their popularity. Tesla has made safety updates to the Model S since its been production. Volvo has done so for the S60 too.

 

Let's not forget that the Model S only scored 'acceptable' in the small overlap crash test. Tesla was chomping at the bit to have the IIHS test the Model S for the small overlap, and then they didn't do so well. And it wasn't just that the dummy missed the air bag, but there was also significant intrusion into the foot well.

And for Musk to compare his cars to Volvos in crash tests is a compliment to Volvo. Kinda like when we compare XC90 sales to Audi Q7 sales, it's a compliment to Audi.

 

Perhaps this video will help educate Musk and Tesla partisans on the side-impact philosophy of Volvo. Yes SIPS is gone, but Volvo has always believed in moving the occupant away from the impact to make a side-impact crush zone, if you will. But now Volvo does it with airbags. The more rigid Model 3 will have higher acceleration forces that will cause more neck injuries to the occupants of the car.

 

Yes SIPS is gone...

When? With the new Geely models?

 

Here's a great example of the S-60's front seat moving sideways in the NHTSA's pole test. Skip to 2:10 in this video.

At 1:59 you can see the Tesla's Model S seat does not move inward, but stays in place, close to the door.

 

Now those are good videos!

I think I get it. You need crumple zones to have time for deceleration of the occupant, right? So by crumpling more and pushing the person inward with airbags and seat movement, you get more deceleration.

Both cars look very safe, but the movement of the person in the Volvo makes it look like the car absorbs more of the impact and less of it is transferred to the person.

 

Now those are good videos!

I think I get it. You need crumple zones to have time for deceleration of the occupant, right? So by crumpling more and pushing the person inward with airbags and seat movement, you get more deceleration.

Both cars look very safe, but the movement of the person in the Volvo makes it look like the car absorbs more of the impact and less of it is transferred to the person.

I've been doing some internet research the last few days on 'pole tests', and I guess I have to give this one to Tesla, but just by a little bit. And one test does not make your car the safest car by any stretch. I know that Elon is under a lot of pressure to give his expectant stockholders the best news he can, with as much hyperbole as he can get away with. Of course, no mention of Tesla's problems with the 'small overlap crash test'. Like I commented to someone, the S-60 still got 5-Stars on the 'pole test', which is not a downgrade, but the IIHS gave the Model S an 'acceptable' on the 'small overlap test', which is a downgrade.

 

This was nessesary because as you know once you are out of battery juice in the middle of an intersection and there is a volov hauling ass straight for your door they want you to survive... thats all.

 

Anyone notice the tendancy of the Tesla to roll over due to large mass in the floor? It wanted to flip over it seemed to me due to lack of crumbling or energy absorbing floor in that thing. Cant wait to see them in real crashes as more and more pop up in the area.

 

Yep! The Tesla has to have a very rigid floor to protect the batteries (from exploding). A crumple zone on the side exposing the batteries to damage, could have a catastrophic outcome. So sure, Tesla will claim less visible side impact damage to the car itself, but occupant protection from the batteries is probably the driving motive here. Spinal related and brain tissue injuries could be a higher risk with the Tesla?

Btw, check-out the IIHS videos below. The Tesla takes a huge impact, similar to a head-on collision, at the firewall/A pillar during the Small Overlap testing (Audi's do also), where Volvo's allow the car to divert or shed the energy. Look how the S90 "glances-off" the impact. Volvo's have been designed to do this for years, where the competitor's passengers take nearly the full brunt of the impact force (full G's). Sure the Tesla cockpit remains in tact, but the passenger are at higher risk of brain injury.

 

Reminds me of when the S80 first came out in the late 1990s, in one of the European crash tests for the offset impact you can hear the engineers all clapping and hooting in the background for how well the S80 does in the test.

 

I guess the Tesla drivers will also have to hope that the Li batteries of the Tesla do not get cracked and catch fire, as well...

Tesla has a chip on its shoulder (as any newcomer should) and they are going after the proven global safety leader; not a problem I just wish they would choose a classier way of doing it instead of resorting to a few edited seconds that do not paint the real picture of what is really happening to a car and its passengers.

 

I'm waiting for Volvo to fight back a little at the Tesla high powered golf carts, especially when they are prone to plowing into semi trailers. They could also throw down at Subaru a little with some, we love your kids and dogs so we built them a lovely tank to ride in adverts.

 

Which would you feel safer in?

Atlas, CX9, Forester, Q5, RX, GLE, hitting a virtual brick wall during the Small Overlap test:

The new XC60 aces the test, by shedding/skirting the full impact, in fact, the occupants head barely touches the front airbag:

 

I'll take my first gen XC90 that was minimally changed since 2003 over any of those 2017s (except the XC60 of course

 

Oh yes, similar impact result as the other Volvo's. Engineered to direct the impact forces away from the vehicle, and not expect that section of the firewall, and the unfortunate passengers, to absorb it all. Measurements have shown over 20G's inflicted on passengers who's cars going 40 MPH take the full brunt of that Small Overlap type collision. Excellent work Volvo!

 

Too much BS from Volvo and its fanboys....

Having been a Volvo enthusiast for many, many years.... note the past tense..... I do find that despite chinese owned Volvo still being, there or thereabouts, at the forefront of this that many other manufacturers have in fact just about caught up.

Taking a quick look at this article https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news/features/cheapest-new-cars-safety-2017/ wíll give a hint of how well others are doing even at the lower end of the market.

I am putting a foot into the Alfa camp and am assured by the fact that their new Giulia platform has had the best occupant's safety result to date with in its NCAP evaluation.

Don.

 

Having been a Volvo enthusiast for many, many years.... note the past tense..... I do find that despite chinese owned Volvo still being, there or thereabouts, at the forefront of this that many other manufacturers have in fact just about caught up.

Taking a quick look at this article https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news/features/cheapest-new-cars-safety-2017/ wíll give a hint of how well others are doing even at the lower end of the market.

I am putting a foot into the Alfa camp and am assured by the fact that their new Giulia platform has had the best occupant's safety result to date with in its NCAP evaluation.

Don.

No one denies that all cars are safer (finally!!), and the gap has been closed with Volvo. But briefly looking at the car-makes that had models on your linked article, I thought I'd look at some of the other models of these brands that are available to Americans.

Nissan has 3 models that are still scoring 'Poor' on the 'small overlap crash test'. The Juice, the Leaf, and the Titan.

Toyota still has 2 models scoring 'Marginal' on the 'small overlap crash test'. The Forerunner, and the Yaris 4-door hatchback.

Honda has some pretty good crash scores, but it's only been in the last couple of years that some or their models have been lifted to a decent level, and that includes the Civic.

Hyundai has 1 'Poor', the Accent, and 1 'Marginal', the Veloster, on the 'small overlap crash test'.

I tire of this exercise, but I can assure you that other other brands on your linked article, that I didn't dig into, have Easter Eggs of poor or marginal ratings too, and some are in the sub-scoring. Such scores makes me doubt these brands true dedication to safety if they're still putting out junk like this. Yes, they can build a few models with high safety scores with the canned, simplistic crash tests of the testing agencies, but their lethargy in safety in other models shows a lack of dedication.