When comes to evading a suddenly appearing obstacle on the road, the Tesla Model 3 is one of the best performers.
Most recently, an entry-level Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus, with a rear-wheel-drive powertrain and a battery pack of roughly 60 kilowatt hours (Tesla does not reveal the capacity), was tested in the evasive maneuver test (aka moose test) by Teknikens Värld.
According to the video, the car has a curb weight of 4,034 lbs (1,830 kg) and was fully loaded to its gross weight limit of 4,716 lbs (2,139 kg). That’s a heavy vehicle – above an average compact car with an internal combustion engine, due to the battery weight.
However, there was no issue completing the moose test at an initial speed of 45 mph (72 km/h). Teknikens Värld noted a bit of understeering, but nothing significant. The grip level and balance were considered good.
At a higher initial speed of 47 mph (76 km/h) the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus also was able to complete the test without hitting any cons.
Teknikens Värld reports:
“The balance is still very good, and above all, the car and its ESC system understand that the Model 3 needs to loose a little bit of the rear axle grip to manage the maneuver. The ESC system works very well, the result is that the car follows the path chosen by the driver.”
There is no info on whether the car was tested at even higher speeds, but 47 mph (76 km/h) is considered a result above average.
In the km77.com tests, which might be a bit different (the cars are not fully loaded as far as we know), both a Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD (2019) and a Model Y Long Range AWD (2021) were able to successfully complete the test at 52 mph (83 km/h).
If we combine the moose test results with active safety systems that, in the case of Tesla cars, are also pretty good, hopefully, no moose will be harmed.