NHTSA Archives – The Green Optimistic

EPA’s Misleading Emissions Estimate for CAFE Standards

Courtney Lepping — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 18:49:53 +0000

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are under attack for “abandoning” their Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles. Citizens blindly trusted in the 163 grams/ mile or 54.5 miles per gallon (mpg) estimate of carbon […]

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Quiet Hybrid Vehicles Getting to be Heard

Michelle Lutz — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 14:34:12 +0000

It happens to be very well known that electric vehicles are silent when they are operated at a very low speed. And for the most part this is a fancy feature, but for some, this can be extremely dangerous. Those that are hearing impaired run the risk of not hearing the vehicles when performing simple […]

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Tesla Motors Pushing for Side-View Mirror Elimination

Benji Jerew — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 20:34:29 +0000

Aerodynamics play a big role in fuel economy and, in electric vehicles like those built by Tesla Motors, range, which is why side-view mirrors are such a drag, literally. By law, every vehicle in the US needs to have these side-view mirrors, but at every car show, we see a concept car without side mirrors, […]

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Tesla Model S – 1, Citroën Xsara Coupe – 0

Benji Jerew — Mon, 17 Feb 2014 16:00:20 +0000

The Tesla Model S has been described as one of the safest vehicles on the road. We’ve seen photos and videos of a couple isolated incidents of Tesla Model S fires, which some have used to point out that electric vehicles are a safety hazard. On the other hand, what about the safety of the […]

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Tougher IIHS Crash Testing Pushing Small Cars Off the Road

Benji Jerew — Fri, 24 Jan 2014 12:22:50 +0000

With the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) quantifying the relative safety of vehicles in various types of accidents, it seems that small cars are no longer up to par. Its seems logical to assume that, the bigger the car, the safer you’ll be in case of an accident. On the other hand, small cars […]

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Tesla Motors Software Update Addresses Charger Issues

Benji Jerew — Thu, 26 Dec 2013 20:41:42 +0000

If it isn’t one thing, it’s another, but that’s not preventing Tesla Motors from making changes to address things that are not even under its control, such as the charging station a Tesla Model S is plugged into. Many people have heard that Tesla Motors‘ Tesla Model S, as well as other lithium-ion-powered vehicles, such […]

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NHTSA Confirms Tesla Model S’ Five-Star Safety Rating

Benji Jerew — Thu, 26 Dec 2013 07:06:38 +0000

Tesla Model S is still one of the country’s safest vehicles, as confirmed both by NHTSA crash testing and an investigation following three car fires that originated in the lithium-ion battery pack. After three fires in just about as many weeks, as well as a recent garage fire, all involving the expensive performance electric vehicle […]

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Tesla Model S Safety, “No Further Measures Deemed Necessary,” German KBA Says

Benji Jerew — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 14:42:18 +0000

After three Tesla Model S fires swept the internet and bashed TSLA Stock prices, it only seems natural that the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) ordered an investigation. According to some, the Tesla Model S‘ low-slung lithium-ion battery pack, even with its armor plating, is insufficiently protected. At high speed, road debris could possibly […]

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NHTSA Orders Investigation as Tesla Model S Ride is Height Adjusted

Benji Jerew — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 14:46:07 +0000

Tesla Motors says the latest wireless software update for the Tesla Model S isn’t to prevent fire, but the car will ride a little higher the next time you get on the highway. The news From Tesla Motors came just hours before the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] announced they would investigate the design […]

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No Tesla Model S Recall Planned, says CEO Elon Musk

Benji Jerew — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 19:41:09 +0000

After three Tesla Model S fires in twice as many weeks, some have begun to question the safety of the $70,000+ performance electric vehicle. Of course, if you take these fires out of perspective, it might seem that there is some inherent problem with the Tesla Model S, in spite of its great looks, performance, […]

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Just How Safe is the Tesla Model S? Very!

Benji Jerew — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 23:26:48 +0000

Go to the Tesla Motors website, and you’ll be greeted by a picture of the Tesla Model S and the words, “The Safest Car in America.” Those are some pretty big words, coming from such a small company, but could it be that Tesla Motors is one of the few automakers who are doing it […]

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Tesla Model S Scores All Five Stars [Perfect Score] in NHTSA Crash Tests

Benji Jerew — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 18:17:13 +0000

A lot of word has passed the lips of Tesla Model S critics and fanatics regarding its level of greenness, how well it performs, and whether or not it is simply a brick waiting to happen [It absolutely is NOT]. For some reason though, its safety designs haven’t been all that newsworthy, and I’m not […]

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Obama's New Law will Require Automakers to Add Sounds to Quiet Vehicles

Mike Sandru — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:31:43 +0000

It is likely that the blind and other pedestrians will be alerted by adding different sounds to cars since a bill was signed into law by Barack Obama, the U.S. president.

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