Testing from Within: Tesla’s crash lab data to make its way into safety updates

Toronto, Ontario — Tesla pulled back the curtain on the inner workings of its crash lab, as safety engineers go in-depth on in-house crash testing. in a video posted to the company’s Youtube channel on Tuesday.

The tests conducted at Tesla’s “top-secret” crash test facility seek to route out specific, “real-world” safety concerns that could go overlooked in a standard industry test.

A Tesla safety engineer named Dan said that “Previously, the best way to design a safe car was for industry-standard crash testing, and those crash tests are like a few grains of sand that are meant to represent the beach. But in reality, the beach is infinitely more complex. Every crash is different. With emerging technologies, there are new opportunities now. We can look at the real world and design for that.”

Tesla can then use the data collected from the tests to implement over-the-air updates, and allow the fine-tuning of certain safety features, such as seatbelt reaction and airbag deployment.

“We think over time, this will change how you design for vehicle safety. It’s all based on knowledge. I think this is just the beginning of a journey for us. The reason we’re doing this is simple. It’s because A, we can, we have the ability. And B, it’s because it’s the right thing to do,” said another safety engineer named Anders.