Child Safety SeatsGuidelines for Seating ChildrenYou must restrain infants and small children using a child safety seat appropriate for the child’sage, weight, and size. Never seat a child in a child safety seat or a booster seat on the front
passenger seat when the airbag is activated. To disable the front passenger seat airbag, see
Disabling the Passenger Front Airbags on page 20. Carefully follow the instructions provided by
the manufacturer of the child safety seat.Warning: Never use a rearward facing child restraint on a seat protected by an ACTIVE
AIRBAG in front of it. DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY to the child can occur. Refer to the
following label fitted to both sides of the passenger sunvisor.
If your Model S is equipped with the optional Tesla built-in rear facing child seats, these seats are
child safety seats and are designed only for children within a specific height and weight range
(see Tesla Built-In Rear Facing Child Seats on page 14).
Safety Information
8Model S Quick Guide
Choosing a Child Safety Seat
Refer to the tables below for guidelines on the type of seat belt installed and ISOFIX installed
child restraint you should use based on the weight of the child.
Seat Belt Installed Child RestraintsMass GroupFront PassengerRear OutboardRear CentreGroup 0up to 10 kgXUUGroup 0+up to 13 kgL*UUGroup 19 - 18 kgUF**U, UFU, UFGroup II15 - 25 kgUF**U, UFU, UFGroup III22 - 36 kgUF**U, UFU, UFU: Universal rear facing child restraint
UF: Universal forward facing child restraint
L: Suitable for these particular child restraints - Maxi-Cosi Cabrio/Cabriofix E4 04443517 or
Takata Mini E4 04443717
X: Seating position is not suitable for children in this mass group.
* Seat must be placed in rearmost lowest position.
** Seat must be placed in rearmost highest position.
NOTE: Attach booster seats using seat belts only (do not use ISOFIX). NOTE: If Model S is equipped with executive seats, a rear center seating position is not available.
Safety Information
Safety Information9
ISOFIX* Installed Child Restraints
Mass GroupSize ClassFixtureRear Outboard
ISOFIX PositionGroup 0up to 10 kgER1IL
Group 0+up to 13 kg
ER1IL A, CDR2ILA, CCR3ILA, C
Group 19 - 18 kg
DR2IL BCR3ILBBF2IUF, IL B, DB1F2xIUF, ILB, DAF3IUF, ILB, DIL: Suitable for any semi-universal child restraint (any rear or forward facing restraint with
support leg)
IUF: Suitable for any universal child restraint (forward facing with tether) A Recommendation: Takata Mini E4 04443717
B Recommendation: Takata Midi E4 04444204
C Recommendation: Maxi-cosi Cabriofix/Easyfix E4 04443517
D Recommendation: Maxi-cosi Pearl/familyfix E4 043908
*ISOFIX - The international standard for attachment points for child safety seats in passenger
vehicles.
Note: If the combined weight of the child and the child safety seat is over 29 kg, Tesla
recommends attaching the safety seat using the seat belt and upper tether strap. In addition to
safety, this has the added benefit of ensuring the seat belt reminder does not stay lit. Always
follow the seat belt manufacturer’s instructions when installing child safety seats.
Safety Information
10Model S Quick Guide
Seating Larger Children
If a child is too large to fit into a child safety
seat, but too small to safely fit into the standard seat belts, use a booster seat
appropriate for the child’s age and size. Carefully follow the manufacturer’s
instructions to secure the booster seat using
the seat belts. Do not use the ISOFIX system to secure booster seats, even in situationswhere the booster seat is equipped with the
ISOFIX system.
Installing Child Safety Seats
There are two general methods used to install child safety seats:
• Seat belt retained - these seats are secured using the vehicle’s seat belts (see
Installing Seat Belt Retained Child Seats
on page 11).
• ISOFIX retained - these seats can attach to anchor bars built into the vehicle’s rear
seats (see Installing ISOFIX Child Seats on
page 12).
Check the child safety seat manufacturer’s
instructions and the table on Child Safety
Seats on page 8 to determine which
installation method to use. Some child safety
seats can be installed using either method.
Always follow the child safety seat
manufacturer’s instructions.
Installing Seat Belt Retained Child Seats
First, make sure that the child falls into the
correct weight range for the seat.
Avoid dressing the child in bulky clothing and do not place any objects between the child
and the restraint system.
Adjust harnesses for every child, every trip.To securely hold child safety seats, all
passenger seating positions are equipped with
an automatic locking retractor (ALR) that, by pulling the seat belt beyond the length
needed for a typical adult occupant, locks the
belt into place until the seat belt is unbuckled
and the webbing is fully retracted. The ALR
mechanism operates as a ratchet, winding in
slack and preventing the seat belt from
extending any further until it has been
completely rewound. When installing a child
safety seat, engage the belt's automatic
locking retractor by pulling the seat belt
webbing until it is fully extended. The ALR
system engages only when the seat belt is at its maximum extension point.
Note: An automatic locking retractor
disengages only when the seat belt is
unbuckled and fully retracted. The belt can then be worn as a normal belt, sliding freely inand out and locking tight only in an
emergency. Once disengaged, the belt must be fully extended to re-engage the locking
mechanism whenever you install a child safety seat.
Always follow the detailed instructions provided by the child safety seat
manufacturer. General guidelines are provided
below.
1. Place the child safety seat in Model S, and
fully extend the seat belt. Route and
buckle the seat belt in accordance with the child safety seat manufacturer’s
instructions.
2. Allow the seat belt to retract, and remove
all slack in the seat belt while firmly
pushing the child safety seat into the Model S seat.
Safety Information
Safety Information11
1Tire category. P indicates that the tire is for passenger vehicles.2Tire width. This 3-digit number is the width (in millimeters) of the tire from sidewall
edge to sidewall edge.3Aspect ratio. This 2-digit number is the sidewall height as a percentage of the tread width. So, if the tread width is 205 mm, and the aspect ratio is 50, the sidewall height is
102 mm.4Tire construction. R indicates that the tire is of Radial ply construction.5Wheel diameter. This 2-digit number is the diameter of the wheel rim in inches.6Load index. This 2 or 3-digit number is the weight each tire can support. This number is not always shown.7Speed rating. When stated, indicates the maximum speed (in mph) at which the tire
can be used for extended periods. Q=99 mph (160 km/h), R=106 mph (170 km/h),
S=112 mph (180 km/h), T=118 mph (190 km/h), U=124 mph (200 km/h), H=130 mph
(210 km/h), V=149 mph (240 km/h), W=168 mph (270 km/h), Y=186 mph (300 km/h).8Tire composition and materials. The number of plies in both the tread area and the sidewall area indicates how many layers of rubber coated material make up the
structure of the tire. Information is also provided on the type of materials used.9Maximum tire load. The maximum load which can be carried by the tire.10Maximum permissible inflation pressure. This pressure should not be used for normal driving.11U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN). Begins with the letters DOT and indicates
that the tire meets all federal standards. The next 2 digits/letters represent the plant
code where it was manufactured, and the last 4 digits represent the week and year of
manufacture. For example, the number 1712 is used to represent the 17th week of 2012.
The other numbers are marketing codes used at the manufacturer’s discretion. This
information can be used to contact consumers if a tire defect requires a recall.12Treadwear grade. This number indicates the tire’s wear rate. The higher the treadwear number is, the longer it should take for the tread to wear down. A tire rated at 400, for
example, lasts twice as long as a tire rated at 200.13Traction grade. Indicates a tire’s ability to stop on wet roads. A higher graded tire should allow you to stop your vehicle in a shorter distance than a tire with a lower
grade. Traction is graded from highest to lowest as AA, A, B, and C.14Temperature grade. The tire’s resistance to heat is grade A, B, or C, with A indicating
the greatest resistance. This grading is provided for a correctly inflated tire, which is
being used within its speed and loading limits.
Safety Information
28Model S Quick Guide
Vehicle Loading
Load Capacity Labeling It is important to understand how much
weight your Model S can safely carry. This weight is called the vehicle capacity weight
and includes the weight of all occupants, cargo and any additional equipment added toyour Model S since it was manufactured.
There are two labels attached to Model S that
state how much weight it can safely carry.
These labels are located on the center door
pillar and are visible when the driver’s door is
open:
1. Tire and Loading Information label
2. Statutory Plate
Warning:
Overloading Model S has an
adverse effect on braking and handling,
which can compromise your safety or
damage Model S.Caution: Never load more than 136 kg in
the front trunk. Doing so can cause
damage.Caution: Never store large amounts of
liquid in Model S. A significant spill can
cause electrical components to
malfunction.Tire and Loading Information Label
The Tire and Loading Information label provides:
• The maximum number of occupant seating positions.
• The maximum vehicle capacity weight.
• The size of the original tires.
• The cold inflation pressures for the original front and rear tires. These
pressures are recommended to optimize
ride and handling characteristics.
Never change this label, even if you use different tires in the future.
Note: If Model S is loaded to its full capacity,
double check all tires to ensure they are
inflated to their recommended pressure levels.
Statutory Plate
In addition to the VIN, the Statutory Plate provides:
• GVWR - Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. The maximum allowable total mass of Model S.
This is calculated as the weight of
Model S, all passengers, fluids, and cargo.
• GAWR - Gross Axle Weight Rating for the front and rear axles. The GAWR is the
maximum distributed weight that each
axle can support.
Caution: To prevent damage, never load
Model S so that it is heavier than GVWR
or exceeds the individual GAWR weights.
Safety Information
Safety Information29
Calculating Load Limits
1. Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs” on your
vehicle’s “Tire and Loading Information” label.
2. Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding in
the vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX kg or
XXX lbs (see Step 1).
4. The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs (635 kg) and there will be five 150 lb (68 kg)
passengers in the vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage capacity is
650 lbs (1400 ‑ 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs) or
295 kg (635 ‑ 340 (5 x 68) = 295 kg.
5. Determine the combined weight of cargo
and luggage being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight must not exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.Warning: The front and rear trunks are
the preferred places to carry objects. In
an accident, or during hard braking and sharp turns, loose items in the cabin
could injure occupants.
Example Load Limit Calculations
How much cargo you can carry in Model S
depends on the number and weight of
passengers. The following are typical
examples of calculated load limits. These
examples assume passengers weighing 150 lbs (68 kg). If the passengers weigh more or less,
the available cargo and luggage load capacity decreases or increases respectively.
Example 1: Driver and one passenger
DescriptionTotalVehicle capacity weight954 lbs
(433 kg)Subtract occupant weight
(2 x 150 lbs/68 kg)300 lbs
(136 kg)Available cargo weight654 lbs
(297 kg)Example 2: Driver and four passengersDescriptionTotalVehicle capacity weight954 lbs
(433 kg)Subtract occupant weight (5 x
150 lbs/68 kg)750 lbs
(340 kg)Available cargo weight204 lbs
(93 kg)
The available cargo or luggage weight should
then be distributed between the front and
rear trunks.
Caution: Do not exceed the maximum
front trunk load weight of 136 kg.
Towing a Trailer
Warning: Do not use Model S for towing
purposes. Model S does not support a
trailer hitch. Installing one could cause
damage and increase the risk of an
accident.Caution: Using Model S for towing may
void the warranty.
Roof Racks
If Model S is equipped with the all glasspanoramic roof, you can carry up to 75 kgusing a Tesla-approved roof rack (see Partsand Accessories). A Model S equipped with a
solid aluminum roof is incompatible with roof
racks.
Caution: Damage caused by roof racks is
not covered by the warranty.Caution: Do not use roof racks, or place
any load, on the roof of a Model S that is equipped with a solid aluminum roof.Doing so can cause significant damage.
Safety Information
30Model S Quick Guide
Aairbag, front passenger, disabling 20
airbags 18
C CE certifications 32
chains 25child seatsdisabling front passenger airbag 20
installing and using 8
Tesla built-in rear facing 14contact informationroadside assistance 2
D
data recording 31
delivery mileage 31
door labels 29
E event data recording 31
F
FCC certifications 32
front passenger detection 20
G
GAWR 29
Gross Axle Weight Rating 29
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating 29
GVWR 29
H
hitches 30
I
IC certifications 32
ISOFIX child seats, installing 12
KkeyFCC and IC certifications 32
L
labelStatutory Plate 29
Tire and Loading Information 29
load limits 29
M
maintenancetires 22
mileage upon delivery 31
N NCC certifications 32
R radio frequency, FCC information 34
roadside assistance 2
roof racks 30
rotating tires 23
S
safety informationairbags 21
child seats 13
rear facing child seats 17
seat belts 7seat beltsin a collision 6
overview of 5
pre-tensioners 6
wearing when pregnant 6
seating capacity 29
seatsTesla built-in rear facing 14
service data recording 31
Statutory Plate 29
Index
Index43