In a recent video posted by KM77.com, the Tesla Model X is shown successfully completing the “moose test” up to speeds of 70 kmh, but failing it at higher speeds. The famous “moose test” measures a car’s ability to maneuver around a suddenly appearing obstacle, such as a moose or a child running out onto the road. Traffic cones are set up in an S-shape to simulate the obstacle and road edges, while the car is weighted to achieve the maximum load. The Model X tested weighed about 2.8 tons.
In the video, the car successfully swerves and returns to the original lane without knocking over any of the cones at 70 kmh, which is about 43 mph. But when the driver speeds up to 72 and 74 kmh— 44.7 and 46 mph respectively— at least one cone is knocked over as he tries to return to his original lane, failing the test. The video explains that even when the driver tried to anticipate the obstacle, the car still did not react fast enough to avoid knocking over cones when trying to perform the maneuvers.
The test also included a slalom course in which the drivers found similar reaction times as the moose test.
Km77 has performed these tests for many different models in the same class as the Model X, including the Audi Q5, which passed at speeds up to 80 kmh. The Jeep Renegade outperformed the Model X by 1 kmh, while the Ford Edge was able to maneuver around the “moose” up to 74 kmh.
Check out the full video here: