1 best of : Tesla Model 3 Earns Five-Star Safety Rating From NHTSA

The 2018 Tesla Model 3 has aced its government safety evaluation, earning five stars overall and in every single category tested.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration put the rear-wheel-drive Model 3 through its usual battery of tests: front driver side, front passenger side, side barrier (driver and rear passenger), side pole, and rollover crashes. The Model S and Model X are also rated five stars across the board in government tests.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has not yet issued a full rating for the Model 3, but it gets an “Acceptable” headlight score and the top score of “Superior” in front crash prevention. The vehicle was able to avoid collisions in both 12-mph and 25-mph tests. The Model 3 offers a number of advanced safety technologies, including forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and automatic emergency braking.

For Tesla, the results must be a welcome reprieve from the recent bad press. The automaker suffered criticism for failing to meet earlier production targets and building the Model 3 in an assembly line under a giant tent. On Twitter earlier this month, CEO Elon Musk revealed Tesla had “gone from production hell to delivery logistics hell.” But that sounds like progress, at least.

Sorry, we’ve gone from production hell to delivery logistics hell, but this problem is far more tractable. We’re making rapid progress. Should be solved shortly.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 17, 2018