Tesla Model Y Receives Top Safety Pick+ Rating With Nearly Perfect Score

Tesla's Model Y receives a nearly perfect score in IIHS crash results

Tesla's Model Y has been recognized as one of the safest cars of 2023 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), receiving the agency's Top Safety Pick+ rating for the third year. Despite the IIHS' updated, more stringent criteria this year, the Model Y's top-rated safety features and performance earned it a place among the 48 vehicles that qualified for the 2023 awards, with 28 earning a Top Safety Pick+ rating and 20 achieving a Top Safety Pick rating.

IIHS Using More Rigid Standards

IIHS President David Harkey stated that the smaller number of winners this year reflects the IIHS' goal of encouraging automakers to continue improving vehicle safety. "These models are true standouts in both crashworthiness and crash prevention," he said.

The IIHS' updated criteria include an updated side crash test involving 82% more energy than the original, a new nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention test, and stricter headlight requirements. The agency added the nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention test to its metrics to address the rising number of pedestrian crashes. Harkey explained, "Safer vehicles can be an important part of the solution, even though reversing the trend will also take a concerted effort from policymakers and other stakeholders."

The IIHS also announced that it would no longer include three of its previous safety evaluations in its award criteria: roof strength, head restraint, and vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention tests. The agency explained that the retirement of these tests reflects industry progress, making them less relevant in their current form.

Model Y Safety Superiority is not a Surprise

The latest safety accolades should not come as a surprise. The Model Y has shown real-world evidence that it is the safest vehicle on the road. For example, in late December a Model Y protected its four occupants when it went off a 250-foot cliff landing on a rocky beach. Firefighters called it a miracle that the two children and two adults only suffered minor injuries.

Tesla leaders have repeatedly stated that the company is always looking for ways to make their vehicles safer. An incredible statement given that collision statistics show that Teslas are already 2.5 times safer than non-Teslas.

Other Automakers Catching Up

Interestingly, the Tesla Model Y achieved the Top Safety Pick+ rating, making it one of the three all-electric vehicles to receive such marks this year. Other all-electric vehicles that received the Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS include the Volkswagen ID.4 and the Rivian R1T. The IIHS' website shows that the Model Y received a "Good" rating on the agency's updated side-impact test and passed the IIHS' nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention test with flying colors.

The IIHS' updated standards continue to push automakers to improve vehicle safety. The Tesla Model Y's continued recognition as one of the safest vehicles on the market is a testament to the automaker's commitment to safety.

Tesla FSD in Europe: June Update

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The road to bringing FSD to Europe has been a long and complex one and filled with regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles. Elon Musk, as well as other members of Tesla’s AI team, have previously voiced their grievances with the regulatory approval process on X.

However, it appears that there is finally some progress in getting things moving with recent changes to upcoming autonomy regulations, but the process still seems slow.

Waiting on the Dutch

Elon commented on X recently, stating that Tesla is waiting for approval from Dutch authorities and then the EU to start rolling out FSD in Europe. Tesla is focusing on acquiring approvals from the Dutch transportation authority, which will provide them with the platform they need to gain broader acceptance in Europe. Outside of the Netherlands, Tesla is also conducting testing in Norway, which provides a couple of avenues for them to obtain national-level approval.

The frustration has been ongoing, with multiple committee meetings bringing up autonomy regulation but always pulling back at the last second before approving anything. The last meeting on Regulation 157, which governs Automated Lane Keeping Systems, concluded with authorities from the UK and Spain requesting additional time to analyze the data before reaching a conclusion.

Tesla, as well as Elon, have motioned several times for owners to reach out to their elected representatives to move the process forward, as it seems that Tesla’s own efforts are being stymied. 

This can seem odd, especially since Tesla has previously demoed FSD working exceptionally smoothly on European roads - and just did it again in Rome when they shared the video below on X.

FSD Supervised testing in Rome, Italy

Pending regulatory approval pic.twitter.com/TXh3uQIfrx

— Tesla Europe & Middle East (@teslaeurope) June 12, 2025

DCAS Phase 3

While the approval process has been slow, Kees Roelandschap pointed out that there may be a different regulatory step that could allow FSD to gain a foothold in Europe.

According to Kees, the European Commission is now taking a new approach to approving ADAS systems under the new DCAS Phase 3 regulations. The Commission is now seeking data from systems currently operational in the United States that can perform System-Initiated Maneuvers and don’t require hands-on intervention for every request.

This is key because those are two of the core functionalities that make FSD so usable, and it also means that there may not be a need to wait years for proper regulations to be written from scratch. Now, the Commission will be looking at real-world data based on existing, deployed technology, which could speed up the process immensely.

What This Means

This new, data-driven regulatory approach could be the path for Tesla to reach its previous target of September for European FSD. While the cogs of bureaucracy are ever slow, sometimes all it takes is a little data to have them turn a bit faster in this case.

Alongside specific countries granting approval for limited field testing with employees, there is some light at the end of the tunnel for FSD in Europe, and hopes are that a release will occur by the end of 2025. With Europe now looking to North America for how FSD is performing, Tesla’s Robotaxi results could also play a role.

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Tesla Launches 'TeslaVision' Contest With Big Prizes — See Last Year’s Winner [VIDEO]

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Tesla’s marketing has always been relatively unconventional, relying on word-of-mouth rather than traditional advertising. The passion of the owner’s community is always massive, but it is especially high now with the launch of the Robotaxi network just around the corner.

Tesla is now tapping into that spring of fan creativity and announced the TeslaVision video contest, with some seriously impressive prizes up for grabs.

Announcing the TeslaVision fan video showcase

Tesla owners & supporters have always been able to see our products & mission for what they truly are.

Your word of mouth has made Tesla what it is today.

The OGs will remember that in 2017, we held our first video contest. 8 years… pic.twitter.com/6pPpkqmqOH

— Tesla (@Tesla) June 10, 2025

The Contest

The core of the contest is simple. Create a video that shows how your Tesla gives you more in life. Tesla is looking for submissions that highlight themes of freedom, safety, fun, and convenience.

Prizes

The prizes definitely make this contest worth entering if you’re good with a camera and have some basic video editing abilities.

For North America, the prizes include a brand new Model Y AWD Long Range, alongside an all-expenses-paid trip to Austin for a tour of Giga Texas. The grand prize winner will also be able to custom order their Model Y, allowing them to select their preferred wheels and color.

The two runners-up won’t get a Model Y, but they’ll also enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip to Giga Texas for a tour of the factory.

The travel and tour include lodging in Austin for 2 nights, as well as economy-class round-trip tickets from anywhere in North America. Tesla will also provide a vehicle for use during the trip.

Hopefully, these winners will also have the opportunity to experience the Robotaxi network while they’re in Austin, as it’s expected to be opened to the public later this month.

Project Loveday

For long-time followers of Tesla, this contest may feel familiar. The contest is a direct throwback to the 2017 Project Loveday contest, which was inspired by a letter to Tesla from a 10-year-old aspiring marketer. That contest was won by MKBHD, with his submission below:

How to Enter

If you’re ready to start filming, here are the key pieces of information you’ll need to know:

• Video must be 90 seconds or less

• Video must be uploaded to YouTube with a public URL

• Make a post on X and Instagram tagging “@Tesla” and include the words “TeslaVision contest” in the post.

• Provide links to both social media posts in your submission to Tesla’s form

• Provide your personal details in the form

• You have until July 17th, 2025, or until Tesla receives 10,000 entries, whichever comes first.

You can find the official submission form and all region-specific details on Tesla's website.

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