One of Australia’s best-selling electric cars is also the country’s top safety performer for 2022, with the Australasian New Car Safety Program (ANCAP) crowning the Tesla Model Y as overall top performer against its 2020-2022 rating criteria.

The electric SUV finally arrived in Australia in August, two years after it debuted in its US home market and months after it was expected to launch here, due to COVID-related restrictions in China where it is built.

Pent-up demand and back orders briefly made the Model Y one of Australia’s best-selling models in September, with the EV’s 4359 sales delivering the marque a landmark third place on the outright sales table, behind combustion-engine market favourites the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.

Sales came back to earth somewhat in October and November but the small SUV is still comfortably Australia’s most popular EV and has now also been recognised by ANCAP as the top safety performer for 2022, with an overall weighted score of 92.6%.

The Tesla was closely followed by the second-placed Lexus NX (Medium SUV) which scored an impressive 89.2% and newly arrived Chinese-made people movers the LDV MIFA 9 and LDV MIFA which scored 87.4%.

A statement form ANCAP said the Model Y achieved the highest scores in the Adult Occupant Protection (97%) and Safety Assist (98%) assessment areas, adding that top performers must offer a balance of strong performance across all key areas of safety assessment.

“Once again, we’ve seen high levels of safety performance across a range of vehicle types and brands,” ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg said.

“Of interest this year is that each of the three highest scorers include alternative-powered models.

“This clearly shows the desire and commitment of vehicle manufacturers to offer the safest vehicles they can into the Australian and New Zealand markets, and the continued appetite of consumers and fleet buyers who expect the highest level of safety.”

Other strong performers rated against the outgoing 2020–22 test and rating criteria include the Ford Ranger, Ford Everest, Nissan Qashqai and Nissan Pathfinder which shared the highest score for Child Occupant Protection (93%), and the Toyota Corolla Cross which achieved the highest score for Vulnerable Road User Protection (87%).

“We know the continued injection of the safest vehicles onto our roads has tangible road safety and economic benefits, and this strong performance of models rated over the past three years will see even an even greater number of lives saved and serious injuries avoided,” Ms Hoorweg said.

A total of 61 out of the 69 vehicle models rated by ANCAP over the past three years achieved a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, while 31 models (45%) rated over this period offer an alternative-powered drivetrain.

ANCAP recently announced tough new vehicle safety test ratings to take effect from January 2023.

It’s the first change to the independent vehicle safety regulator’s safety testing since January 2020, with the expanded 2023 test and assessment criteria including new areas such as the ability of a vehicle to avoid a crash with a motorcyclist, child presence detection, and vehicle submergence.

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