Passive Safety Safety starts with our clean sheet design 2020 Tesla Model Y 2020 Subaru Outback Improving occupant safety has always been key to our mission. All our vehicles are built off a safety-first architecture with a low center of gravity (thanks to the positioning of our battery) and enhanced frontal impact safety (thanks to the front trunk that is void of the engine found in ICE vehicles). Added benefit of enhanced performance Based on the advanced architecture of Model S and Model X, we engineered Model 3 and Model Y to be the safest cars built to date. Even though Model 3 and Model Y have no engine, their performance is similar to a “mid-engine car” due to a centered battery pack and the fact that the rear motor is placed slightly in front of the rear axle rather than behind it. Not only does this architecture add to the overall agility and handling of the car, but it also improves the capability of stability control by minimizing rotational kinetic energy. Model 3 and Model Y score 5-stars in all NCAP categories After putting Model 3 and Model Y through a series of crash tests used as part of the New Car Assessment Program to calculate the likelihood of serious bodily injury for front, side and rollover crashes, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded each a perfect 5-star safety rating in every category and subcategory. 38