Tesla’s Model S got caught in a landslide with two occupants inside it, but neither of them were crushed, as mentioned in a post on the Tesla Motors Club forum. The post mentioned that the car was pushed to a cliff with the woman and her child inside, and a tree fell on top of it. The car got crushed, but the occupants were safe.
Passing a real-life crash test
The Tesla car sustained serious damages. The car’s front trunk was crumpled like a used tissue, the front fascia was ripped away, and there were marks on the front fender. The car’s rear section was deformed into a V shape. The tree smashed the glass on the rear hatch as well, but no damage was caused to the windshield, noted Green Car Reports. The roof remained intact even after crumpling at the front and rear ends.
The crash-worthiness of Tesla’s cars has always been at the company’s focus of discussions, but the discussions have shifted to the new Autopilot system in the past few weeks. The company made the update available only in North America, allowing the car to autonomously perform certain functions such as steering itself in highway traffic.
Only 60,000 Model S sedans and Model X crossovers that were equipped with the necessary hardware were eligible for the autopilot update, which was released as a software update. Tesla informed owners that this initial release was just a beta test, and a lot of work is still to be done.
Will Tesla maintain its quality?
Recently, Tesla’s Model S lost its Consumer Reports recommendation after several consumers came up with complaints about everything from mundane quality issues such as a squeaky sunroof to major issues such as replacement of the electric motor.
It will become very difficult for Tesla to monitor the quality of its vehicles as it boosts production on the Model S and introduces the Model X SUV in more markets. This year so far, Tesla has already built more Model S cars than any time before, and it also launched the Model X, putting pressure on its factory and engineer workers.
“As they have increased volume and the complexity of their cars and added features, they are struggling,” Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports, said. “As they add the Model X, the question is whether they will be able to get the quality back.”
