Tesla Model Y Clinches IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus
The Tesla Model Y is one of the most popular electric vehicles on the market thanks in part to its many approachable qualities: a generous 300-plus miles of range for most versions, capacious cargo room, an optional third row and a relatively affordable starting price. Now, the all-electric SUV has one more attribute to add to the list: a Top Safety Pick Plus designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Related: We Bought a 2021 Tesla Model Y
IIHS has awarded the 2021-22 Tesla Model Y its top accolade after the SUV checked the boxes for all six crashworthiness categories. The agency specifies that the award applies only to 2021 models built after April, since that is when the automaker updated the pedestrian detection technology for its forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems; prior models were not evaluated. IIHS’ series of crash tests include frontal small-overlap tests on the driver’s and passenger’s sides, a moderate-overlap frontal test on the driver’s side, a side-impact test, and evaluations of roof strength and head restraints.
Although the Model Y’s new IIHS designation is a vote of confidence for safety-focused EV shoppers, it’s worth noting that the SUV was tested based on existing side-impact standards, which will soon be replaced with more stringent standards for the 2023 model year. The new measures increase the weight of the barrier used in the side crash test along with the speed of impact: A 4,180-pound barrier hits the vehicle at 37 mph, compared to the current 3,300-pound barrier, which strikes at 31 mph.
The Model Y’s frontal-crash prevention also aced IIHS criteria for the top safety designation. The SUV earned superior ratings in the agency’s testing for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian prevention systems (which is to say, automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning). Tesla’s Autopilot system comes standard on all its vehicles including the Model Y and includes AEB and FCW among its suite of advanced driver-assist features.
The Model Y joins the Model 3 sedan on the Top Safety Pick Plus roster after the sedan earned superior ratings in the crash-avoidance test for all models built after the 2021 model year. Both vehicles also secured good or acceptable ratings for their headlights, which sets them apart from the larger Model S sedan. (The Model S missed an IIHS award due to a poor headlight rating.)
The 2022 Tesla Model Y Long Range model starts at $62,190 (including a $1,200 destination fee), and a performance version is also available; both models come with standard dual-motor all-wheel drive. The automaker is currently taking orders with an estimated delivery date of July 2022, according to its website.
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