Imagine where things could have been had electric vehicles not been hampered by the oil propaganda…
Answer by Marc Hoag:
Because during the roof crush test, the crushing machine exploded at around 4 Gs of force before the roof failed.
That, and it nailed 5 stars in every single test, and numerically, actually exceeded a perfect 5.0.
If you're asking why it did so well, i.e., what about its construction allowed it to do so well, I can only speak to the frontal crash test and roll-over test:
Frontal test: The lack of an engine allowed exceptional space for a crumple zone, effectively allowing the Model S to dissipate frontal crash energy over a far greater distance and time — i.e., greater impulse — than any other internal combustion engine vehicle.
Roll-over test: the extreme lower center of gravity caused by the massive battery packs meant that the car could not be flipped using conventional testing means. That alone was a big deal, as the car had to be flipped using unorthodox testing methods. Suffice to say, if the roof survived 4 Gs of crushing force as mentioned above, it could certainly handle its own weight when being flipped.
Tesla S … the greatest car … in the world? It's certainly seeming that way. Let's see if Clarkson finally agrees.
AB's Reflections 