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While conventional internal combustion engines have hundreds of moving parts, Tesla electric motors have only one moving piece: the rotor. As a result, Model S acceleration is instantaneous, silent and smooth. Step on the accelerator and in as little as 2.8 seconds Model S is travelling 60 miles per hour, without hesitation – and without a drop of petrol.
Autopilot allows Model S to steer within a lane, change lanes with the simple tap of a turn signal and manage speed by using active, traffic-aware cruise control. Digital control of motors, brakes and steering helps avoid collisions from the front and sides, as well as preventing the car from wandering off the road. Model S can also scan for a parking space, alert you when one is available and parallel park on command.
Model S is designed from the ground up to be the safest car on the road, as demonstrated by a maximum-possible 5-star safety rating from the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP). Much of its safety is down to the unique electric drivetrain that sits beneath the car’s aluminum occupant cell in its own subframe. This unique positioning both lowers the car’s center of gravity, which improves handling and minimizes rollover risk, and replaces the heavy engine block with impact absorbing boron steel rails.
Side impacts are met by aluminium pillars reinforced with steel rails to reduce intrusion, protecting occupants and the battery pack while improving roof stiffness. In the event of an accident, airbags protect front and rear occupants, and the battery system automatically disconnects the main power source.
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