The new Porsche Taycan has scored five stars in the latest round of Euro NCAP crash tests, coming second only to the Tesla Model X in its category ratings. The Taycan, tested in entry-level 4S guise and equipped with the Performance battery package, scored above 80% for both adult and child occupant safety, with Euro NCAP stating that “a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions”. The Tesla Model X, being tested for the first time since its UK launch in 2016, follows in the footsteps of the newer Model 3, which also achieved a five-star rating this year. Euro NCAP praised the electric SUV’s autonomous emergency braking system, claiming that collisions were “avoided or mitigated in most cases”. Also awarded five stars in NCAP’s penultimate testing round of 2019 were the new Ford Kuga and similarly sized Renault Captur, Audi Q7, Subaru Forester, Ford Mondeo and the 2020 Skoda Octavia, tested in estate form. The Volkswagen Sharan and its Seat Alhambra sibling achieved four stars, with the Sharan penalised for a poor performance in the ‘side pole test’, in which the left-hand rear door detached during the impact, presenting what motoring researcher Thatcham called “a risk of occupant ejection”. NCAP stated that although the platform-sharing MPVs have been on sale in their current form since 2010, “the VW Group has done a fine job in keeping them up-to-date in terms of safety, with the addition of autonomous emergency braking and rear seatbelt load-limiters”. Rounding off the latest round of results is the facelifted Jeep Renegade, which scored three stars, making it the only car to achieve less than four stars in 2019. The small SUV’s low overall score is attributed largely to a 55% rating for its ability to protect vulnerable road users. Unlike the other models tested, autonomous emergency braking is not fitted as standard to the Renegade. Euro NCAP secretary general Michiel van Ratingen said: “Well done to Tesla and the other five-star performers for not only bringing best-in-class performance in testing but also for making safety systems accessible and standard across the European market. “It is also good to see manufacturers – Ford and Volkswagen in this case –standardising AEB and keeping safety up-to-date even for older cars, to the benefit of their customers.” The next round of crash test results will be released on 18 December
Origin: Porsche and Tesla shine in NCAP crash tests
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Hyundai’s hydrogen fuel-cell Nexo earns top crash safety award
The hydrogen fuel-cell-powered Hyundai Nexo has just undergone its first crash test, and subsequently, one of the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safetys (IIHS) first crash tests of a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle.Not only did the vehicle pass, it also earned a Top Safety Pick+ award, plus a load of Good and Acceptable ratings for its other safety systems. Most importantly, however, the Nexo didnt explode into a giant ball of flames.Per the IIHS, to qualify for a 2019 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests.It also needs an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention and a good headlight rating. The NEXO, a midsize premium SUV, has good ratings in all six crashworthiness tests.Hydrogen doesnt have the best reputation for not exploding remember the H-bomb? The H stands for hydrogen. The infamous Hindenburg zeppelin was also filled with hydrogen. Luckily, hydrogen technology has come a long way since the days of using it as a literal bomb or of trying to hold it in a big balloon. Part of the reason the vehicle didnt toast marshmallows immediately after its small-overlap crash is the hydrogen tanks are fairly well-protected by the body of the vehicle, and are located underneath the rear seats.Theres more to the safety of the tanks than just the placement. In fact, Hyundai recently released a video explain more of the safety features of the
Origin: Hyundai’s hydrogen fuel-cell Nexo earns top crash safety award
Father sues Tesla, saying son’s fatal fiery crash should have been survivable
A fiery crash that killed two California teens is being blamed on batteries, according to multiple lawsuits from the victims families.James B. Riley, the father of the driver, is now suing Tesla for the crash, which the lawsuit alleges should have been entirely survivable, according to the Detroit Free Press.In May of 2018, Barrett Riley and his friend Edgar Monserratt died after he lost control of his fathers Tesla Model S at 187 km/h. Another friend was thrown from the car and survived.The family of Edgar Monserratt had already filed a similar lawsuit against Tesla in January. Both of the suits blame the cars lithium-Ion battery pack for the occupants deaths, since it exploded upon impact with the brick wall. They said and wrote and published that they were going to compensate by putting this fireproofing material in but they never put the fireproofing material in, Riley said. Tesla intentionally removed safety features that engineers intentionally put in those (battery) cells to protect property and protect life.The vehicle originally had a speed limiter installed after Barrett got a speeding ticket for doing 177 km/h. The lawsuit also says the accident occurred because the speed limiter was removed without their consent or permission.According to a statement from Tesla issued earlier this year about the accident, no car could have withstood a high-speed crash of this kind. According to the Rileys, Barrett was uninjured due to the crash, and it was the fire that ensued that killed
Origin: Father sues Tesla, saying son’s fatal fiery crash should have been survivable
The ‘Fastest Woman on Four Wheels’ dies in crash while attempting to break record
Jessi Combs, race car driver and TV personality, died while trying to break a land speed record August 27, 2019 in the Alvord Desert in Oregon.Frederick Brown / Getty Jessi Combs was nicknamed the fastest woman on four wheels. She died August 27 in Oregon in a jet-powered car trying to become faster.The 36-year-old earned her nickname by breaking records. In 2013, she broke a 48-year-old mark when she reached 393 mph (632 km/h) in her North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger. She set another record in 2016 when she drove nearly 478 mph (769 km/h), her fastest speed, in the same desert where her life ended.Combs had attempted to beat her own speed before. In a September Instagram post, Combs said she reached a new top speed of 483 mph (777 km/h). Unfortunately a piece of debris was sucked into the turbine intake. There is minimal damage, though game over for now, she captioned a picture of herself smiling in aviator glasses. Looking forward to the next attempt of ludicrous speed.Tuesdays attempt resulted in a 911 call to the Harney County Sheriffs Office around 4 p.m., according to KTVZ in Oregon. The sheriffs office and the Bureau of Land Management are investigating the crash.Terry Madden, a member of Combs crew, confirmed her death in an Instagram post late August, stating he was the first one there. He urged people to not give to any false donation pages that might pop up.She was the most amazing spirit that that I have ever or will ever know, he wrote in the post. Madden said he and Combs family are working on a documentary that Combs wanted to complete and that a foundation in her honor will help her legacy live on.Combs, who self-described as a stereotype breaker and a real deal across her social platforms, was also an established metal fabricator and welder. She received a degree in custom automotive fabrication from WyoTech and established a line of welding gear for women.She displayed her various sets of expertise on TV, appearing on shows such as Jay Leno’s Garage and hosting The List: 1001 Car Things to Do Before You Die and MythBusters. Combs was also known for her time on television, as a guest fabricator on Overhaulin’, as a co-host of Xtreme 4×4 and All Girls Garage, among other things.As news of her death broke Wednesday, Combs fans and former colleagues eulogized her on Twitter. Kari Byron, who previously starred with Combs on MythBusters, tagged their old show and remembered Combs for always pushing limits.Former MythBusters co-host Adam Savage agreed. He lauded Combs for her presence on the show and passion for encouraging others.Im so so sad, Jessi Combs has been killed in a crash, Savage wrote on Twitter. She was a brilliant to(p)-notch builder, engineer, driver, fabricator, and science communicator, strove everyday to encourage others by her prodigious example. She was also a colleague, and we are lesser for her absence.In one of her last social media posts, Combs is staring at the back of a jet car, overlooking the desert as her team attends to the machine.It may seem a little crazy to walk directly into the line of fire, she wrote. Those who are willing, are those who achieve great
Origin: The ‘Fastest Woman on Four Wheels’ dies in crash while attempting to break record
Bear falls onto moving cop car, causes crash and wildfire
“Caution Falling Bear!”California highway management was prompted to issue this rather strange warning last week after a bear tumbled from an embankment and onto the hood of a moving police car, causing it to flip and ignite a fire that burned about a half-acre of brush. According to reporting by ABC KRCR News, the Sheriffs deputy was responding with lights and sirens to a call about an overdose at 11 p.m. when the bear fell from an overhanging bank and onto the hood of the cruiser.The officer was able to escape the flipped vehicle but unable to put out the fire that eventually consumed the car and some surrounding vegetation. The bear fled the scene and hasnt been heard from since.“Travelers are reminded to stay alert while exploring the beautiful highways and nature of District 1,” the state highway department’s Facebook post reads. “Bears, elk and deer are just some of the critters sharing our coastal home.”Much of Canada is also home to wildlife that can and does spill out onto the roads. Be prepared for the worst with these tips for surviving collisions with large animals.
Origin: Bear falls onto moving cop car, causes crash and wildfire
Tesla sued by family of Florida man killed in Autopilot crash
Tesla was sued for the second time in three months by the family of a car owner who was killed in a crash while using the driver-assistance system Autopilot.Jeremy Banner, 50, died when the Model 3 sedan he was driving failed to brake or steer to avoid a semi trailer that ran a stop sign on a Florida highway in March, according to the lawsuit, which also names the driver of the semi as a defendant.Banner had engaged the Autopilot system about 10 seconds before the collision.Representatives for Tesla didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on the suit, which was filed Thursday.The National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report on the crash in May and said data from the vehicle showed Autopilot was active at the time of the incident. The preliminary data indicated that neither the driver nor the Autopilot system executed evasive maneuvers.Banner is survived by his wife and three children. Were not just talking about the consequences of this defect to the Banner family, which is horrific, Trey Lytal, a lawyer for the family, said during a press conference. These products are defective.Lytal compared Banners accident to that of Joshua Brown, a Tesla Model S owner who died in a similar crash involving a tractor trailer in 2016. The family of Walter Huang, an Apple Inc. engineer who died in a Model X last year in Mountain View, California, sued the company in
Origin: Tesla sued by family of Florida man killed in Autopilot crash
The Tesla Model 3 AWD scores perfect in new U.S. crash tests
The Tesla Model 3 all-wheel-drive has just earned itself a five-star overall crash rating from American federal highway officials.The popular electric car scored the exact same as the rear-wheel-drive-only model in NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) testing, which is to say, perfect, according to Green Car Reports.The official data hasnt been released, but the dual-motor Model 3 apparently passed with flying colours, scoring five stars for front-and passenger-side front protection; for front and rear barrier and pole protection; and in a calculated rollover test.One of the marks the NHTSA scored against the car was for the lack of dynamic head restraints. The cars active safety features got thumbs-up from the administration, though.Another safety authority, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), was not as keen on the car’s driving aids, specifically because they ramped up owners’ tendencies to think of the car as self-driving.One name in particular (Teslas) Autopilot signals to drivers that they can turn their thoughts and their eyes elsewhere None of these systems reliably manage lane-keeping and speed control in all situations, the IIHS wrote in a report. The NHTSA achievement marks an improvement for the Model 3 compared to when it was last tested, earning better scores for its headlights, and earning the top score for its standard automatic emergency braking system.The Model 3 also earned top scores in Europe, which happens even more
Origin: The Tesla Model 3 AWD scores perfect in new U.S. crash tests
2019 Ford Ranger crushes IIHS crash tests, matches Toyota Tacoma
The 2019 Ford Ranger in IIHS crash testingIIHS The 2019 Ford Ranger crew cab recently passed all but one of the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) safety tests with flying colours, narrowly missing out on being crowned a Top Safety Pick. The redone midsize pickup earned a rating of “superior” for front crash prevention, and “good” for five evaluations including driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint. For the passenger-side small overlap front test, however, it earned an “acceptable” due to forces felt on the right lower leg of the dummy passenger, suggesting potential risk of injury. Here’s what that looks like (note the crowd watching from the back of the room).With these results, the Ranger SuperCrew still would have earned the Top Safety Pick if it weren’t for a “marginal” in the headlight category bringing it down—even an “acceptable” would’ve been enough. Alas, it was not meant to be this year. It was enough to bring the Ranger up alongside the segment safety leader, the Toyota Tacoma, though. Meanwhile, the midsize competition from Chevrolet and GMC – namely the Colorado and Canyon – scored “good” on all of the same five tests as the Ranger, but only “marginal” on the passenger-side small overlap front test. The two trucks’ headlights were ranked as “poor” and their front crash prevention system as
Origin: 2019 Ford Ranger crushes IIHS crash tests, matches Toyota Tacoma
Ford recalls 28,000 Explorers in Canada over increased crash risk
2017 Ford ExplorerHandout Ford mid-June recalled roughly 1.2 million Explorer SUVs in the U.S. and 28,000 in Canada over an issue with the rear suspension that may lead to diminished steering control and, in turn, an increased risk of a collision. On vehicles that see frequent full rear suspension articulation – that is, that regularly exercise the rear suspension across its full range of motion – the suspension’s toe link could fracture, making the truck harder to control. Ford Explorer SUVs from model years 2011 through 2017 built at the company’s Chicago plant may be affected. The automaker also launched a second recall the same day for the same issue, specifically for roughly 12,000 sedans and crossovers sold in parts of Canada. Affected vehicles in that recall include the 2009 through 2015 Lincoln MKS; 2009 through 2017 Ford Flex; and 2010 through 2017 Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKT if built in the company’s Chicago or Oakville, Ontario plants and sold in Alberta, Manitoba or Saskatchewan. While the Explorer toe link fracture led only to a single report so far or a truck hitting a curb, the Canadian sedan recall has resulted in at least one crash involving minor injuries. The repair in both recalls will see dealers replace the left- and right-hand rear suspension toe links with new forged units and re-align the
Origin: Ford recalls 28,000 Explorers in Canada over increased crash risk
2019 Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra net four-star overall crash rating
An NHTSA crash test of the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado pickupNHTSA The boffins at the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have finished strapping their crash test dummies into General Motors’ new pickup trucks and have announced their findings: four stars overall. Yes, based on frontal and rollover tests or calculations, the agency gave the Silverado and Sierra four out of five stars. Side impacts garnered five stars, which lead to the overall rating of four stars. A perfect quintet would have made for top marks, by the way. In the tests, the NHTSA comes up with a frontal collision grade by combining the driver and passenger star ratings. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 55 km/h. Evaluations are made to the adult-sized dummies in the front seats, determining the level of injury – if any – to the head, neck, chest and femur (that last one’s your leg, in case you fell asleep in high school biology). Side-impact tests are made up of two varieties. In the first, a 3,015-lb moving barrier represents another car crashing broadside into a standing vehicle at 62 km/h. The other test hauls the vehicle, angled at 75 degrees, into a 25-cm diameter pole at about thirty clicks to simulate sliding sideways into a telephone pole on a rainy day. Rollover is calculated using a bunch of maths that causes your author’s brain to hurt. Four stars isn’t bad, but neither is it the best-in-class. The 2019 Ford F-150 SuperCrew 44 received a five-star overall rating, comprised of five-star frontal and side crash grades, plus a four-star rollover risk rating. The new Ram 1500 hasn’t yet been rated by the
Origin: 2019 Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra net four-star overall crash rating
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