U.S. agency says Tesla safety claim goes beyond its analysis

Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) claimed its Model 3 electric car has the lowest risk of occupant injury of any vehicle in U.S. government tests, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Tuesday said the claim goes beyond the scope of its analysis.

The auto safety’s agency’s 5-Star Safety Ratings Program uses three crash tests and a rollover resistance assessment to come up with an overall ranking.

“NHTSA does not distinguish safety performance beyond the star rating with five stars being the highest safety rating a vehicle can achieve. Thus, there is no NHTSA ‘safest’ ranking within the five-star category,” the agency said. read more »