Our compliance rules would let slide an issue causing furore across the Tasman - but the crash tester’s ‘no score’ edict sticks.

THE country’s second-most popular Tesla is between scores from the national crash test auditor, this stemming from a stoush in Australia over a safety issue that doesn’t trouble our own regulations.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Programme, ANCAP, has decided the updated Tesla Model 3 sedan that has just gone on sale here cannot carry over a highest-possible five star crash test score it meted to the pre-facelift car, which was the fifth most popular new electric here last year.

In official parlance, the score is 'on hold.’ It means the newest version is unrated - a situation which would conceivably deny it in NZ from being considered by fleets that require high ratings. Government is included in that.

Conceivably, too, private buyers who consider ANCAP scores important might also have cause to be troubled by the lack of a score.

The new car’s status stems from an issue under investigation by Australian authorities, to do with it lacking an accessible central rear seat top tether anchor point for a child safety seat. That’s potentially a breach of Australian Design Rules (ADR), that are the be-all in Australia, but not an issue for NZ.

The same scenario arose last year with another favourite for Kiwi electric car buyers, the BYD Atto 3, which also achieved a five star count.

In that case, ANCAP reacted differently; it allowed that rating to apply in NZ, apparently in recognition our rules were different, but said the score would not apply in Australia until a review into federal approval. BYD subsequently circumvented this by re-engineering the car.

Tesla has said nothing about the Model 3’s situation and ANCAP has not added to an initial media statement, issued to Australia’s press to days ago, stating that the pre-facelift car’s score would not apply to the new model.

NZ motor industry involvers spoken to here are adamant the car is untroubled on compliance grounds here. Clarity is being sought from New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.  

ANCAP is part-funded by New Zealand Government agencies, the Melbourne-centred independent crash-test body is the primary national safety auditor and its edicts are taken seriously here.

In Australia the issue could yet prompt a recall and stop-delivery notice; it could be made illegal for use on the road there.

Perhaps because ANCAP now lacks a representative voice in New Zealand - the Automobile Association having relinquished that role some years ago - the story has yet to achieve the national scrutiny it has been meted in Australia.

In its media statement, ANCAP reportedly said: “A facelift to Tesla Model 3 vehicles available in Australia and New Zealand was recently introduced by Tesla, with information provided to ANCAP by Tesla confirming the five-star safety rating for the Tesla Model 3 cannot be applied to facelifted vehicles at this time.

“Facelifted Model 3 vehicles (on sale from January 2024 in Australia and mid-December 2023 in New Zealand) are therefore ‘unrated’.”

It is common for safety ratings to carry over to updated versions of vehicles if manufacturers can prove to ANCAP – and its European counterpart Euro NCAP – that there have been no structural changes which would worsen the vehicle's crash-test performance.

The pre-facelift Model 3’s rating based on testing conducted in 2019. It scored highly, with 96 percent for adult occupant protection, 87 percent for child occupant protection, 74 percent for vulnerable road user protection and 94 percent for safety assist.

ANCAP has indicated its decisions now stemmed from information it received from Tesla, but has not elaborated on what that information was.

A major motoring news outlet in Australia, Drive.com.au, broke the story on January 9 and this sparked a federal inquiry, which is ongoing.

It said ADR’s requirement is for five-seat passenger vehicles – with three seatbelts across the rear, and a seat back which does not fold along the centre line of the middle seating position – to have an accessible top-tether point for securing child seats in all three seating positions.

It says a top-tether point for the middle rear seat was fitted to the pre-facelift Tesla Model 3 – accessed by a flap on the parcel shelf behind the rear headrests – in production from 2019 to late 2023.

However, the updated car has a new parcel shelf, without any cut-out to allow that access, the website says.

“The top-tether point appears to remain under the trim panel behind the rear-seat headrests, however it is not accessible unless this component is removed.”

The website said this was in breach of ADRs, which require the tether to be accessible “without the use of tools”.

It points out that top-tether points, as well as ISOFIX anchors, remain in the outboard seating positions in the Model 3.

The Tesla Model Y is effectively a sports utility version of the sedan, but is not implicated. It is destined to later this year adopt the facelift changes meted the sedan type. However, the rear teher mounts are different, due to its design.

The Model 3 and Model Y supply to New Zealand and Australia from Shanghai, China, and often come on the same ship. It is not clear whether issuance of a stop delivery notice being issued across the Tasman, to require the US electric-car giant to fix vehicles yet to be in transit and yet to be handed over to customers, would affect NZ shipments.

The cars are now the only Tesla vehicles sold new here. The Model 3 achieved 971 registrations last year, to site as the fifth most popular new electric choice, while Model Y was the sector’s dominant car, with 3936 registrations.

Industry figures spoken to today, on condition of anonymity, say it might be easiest for Tesla to effect the same local fix for its issue as occured with the BYD. Said one: “They could hacksaw a hole into the parcel shelf. Problem solved.”

Drive.com.au says it is unclear if the parcel shelf from the outgoing Tesla Model 3 will fit the new model.