Tesla Model 3 wins top safety rating after acing crash tests

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  The small overlap driver’s side front crash test. [credit: IIHS ]

Tesla’s Model 3 has earned the highest possible safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety after the group performed a series of crash tests on the vehicle. The IIHS named the Model 3 a “Top Safety Pick+,” the second all-electric vehicle to win that designation this year after the Audi e-tron.

The Model 3 beat out the Chevy Bolt, which fell short in one of its crash tests earlier this year. The Bolt’s headlights also got a poor rating due to excessive glare.

While Tesla’s older Model S earned generally good marks in 2017 testing by IIHS, it missed out on a Top Safety Pick rating because of less-than-stellar results in one of its crash tests.