Green NCAP recently tested the Tesla Model 3's efficiency, and the fully electric sedan outperformed all rivals with an impressive efficiency rating of 9.6 out of 10. Green NCAP is a European organization that looks at the life cycle of vehicles and their overall carbon footprint via a variety of extensive testing.

Green NCAP's website lists its latest ratings front and center, and the Tesla Model 3 is one of the first that's newly listed based on its recent efficiency testing. Looking into the organization's website a bit further reveals that it asks, "How Green Is Your Car?", and then provides a place to search your make and model for the potential answer.

At any rate, the European organization has come up with an official star rating and index system that allows it to easily rank and compare various vehicles' overall environmental performance.

It comes as no surprise an EV is the most efficient vehicle tested by Green NCAP. However, it may surprise some folks that one of the most popular, performance-oriented electric sedans is also the most efficient and sustainable. Tesla has always had a knack for making its cars more efficient than its rivals, and this recent attention on the Model 3 further solidifies what's been widely reported in the past.

Based on the collective information provided by researchers, Tesla's edge seems to be thanks in part to its superior aerodynamics. Moreover, the Model 3, specifically, has a smaller front end than its rivals.

Green NCAP's most recent testing compared the Model 3 to the Renault Megane E-Tech and the NIO eT7. According to Teslarati, overall efficiency was determined based on multiple tests, including highway driving, cold weather driving, hot weather driving, and more. Cold weather caused the biggest negative impact on efficiency, with the Model 3 and eT7 using 72 percent more energy, and the Megane E-Tech using an additional 78 percent.

The tests concluded that the Renault and NIO vehicles weren't far behind the Model 3, each with a score of 9.4 out of 10. All three vehicles earned a Green NCAP five-star overall rating.

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