DougWantsALeaf said:
Leaf continues to prove its super safe. I wonder where the model 3 shows up in the deaths per million miles.
https://www.torquenews.com/1083/volkswagen-golf-and-nissan-leaf-defy-safety-trends-much-safer-other-small-cars
I am not surprised by the results for LEAF. The LEAF is classed as a midsize car and it is much heavier than the average midsize car. The weight distribution is balanced front/rear and side/side which helps with handling and braking to avoid crashes. Also, the large battery mass is directly under the passenger compartment so crash forces are absorbed by sheet metal rather than violently accelerating the passenger compartment. I was amazed how well the 2011 performed when it was rear-ended by a 3/4-ton 4X4 diesel pickup while I was stopped at a traffic light. The back of the LEAF and the front of the pickup absorbed a lot of energy, but I did not feel significant crash force acceleration.
Since weight distribution and overall size are similar, I would expect the Tesla Model 3 to perform well in real world crashes and crash avoidance. The battery mass under the passenger compartment helps in real world crashes, but penalizes EV's during crash testing into fixed barriers.