Tesla's Model X has become the first SUV ever to earn a five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in every category and sub-category. The Model X also has the lowest probability of injury of any SUV ever tested according to the NHTSA's data.
Tesla is also quick to point out that of all the cars the NHTSA has ever tested, the Model X's overall probability of injury was second only to the Model S (the company's luxury sedan).
Elon Musk and company credit the Model X's all-electric architecture and powertrain design versus a gas-powered SUV as the primary reason for its durability in a crash. The rigid, fortified battery pack mounted beneath the floor of the vehicle creates a center of gravity so low that it affords the vehicle the lowest rollover probability of any SUV on the road.
All things considered, Tesla says that in the event of a serious crash, Model X occupants have a 93 percent probability of walking away without a serious injury.
It's a significant feather in Tesla's cap and comes at what very well could be the turning point - for better or for worse - in the electric automaker's history. That's because Tesla next month is expected to unveil the finalized design of the Model 3, its first vehicle catering to the mainstream masses with a starting price of around $35,000.