Modern electric cars are very safe. The IIHS President says they are seeing more proof that EVs are as safe or safer than internal combustion vehicles. Since its founding in 1959, the IIHS has been giving safety ratings for a long time.

In 2022, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) chose 101 vehicles as their Top Safety Picks. In 2021, there were just 90 picks. Vehicles have to endure a variety of crash tests and other evaluations. Front, driver, and passenger-side crash tests are just a few parts of the IIHS's evaluation. In the side crash test, a 3000-pound driverless vehicle slams into test cars. You can watch a 2021 Mazda CX-5 go through the side test in this IIHS video. They measure the vehicles' structural performance, plus the test dummy's injuries and movements.

The IIHS uses different ratings for different areas of vehicles. We'll refer to these ratings a few times in this article.

- Good (the highest rating), Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor (the lowest rating).

Other areas are rated Superior, Advanced, and Basic. To be rated a Top Safety Pick +, instead of a Top Safety Pick, there is one key requirement. The vehicle must have Good or Acceptable headlights as a standard option. Most of the vehicles on this list achieved the coveted Top Safety Pick + rating.

10 2022 Tesla Model 3 - 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick +

Tesla Model 3 three-quarter view on an open road
Tesla

This IIHS Top Safety Pick applies to all Tesla Model 3s built between 2017 and 2022. In all six crash tests, the Model 3 scored the highest rating of Good. Vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian impacts are evaluated too. The 2022 Tesla Model 3 is rated Superior in both categories. The Model 3 Hearse hasn't been rated yet.

9 2022 Tesla Model Y - 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick +

gray 2023 Tesla Model Y on a road
Tesla

The 2022 Tesla Model Y got top scores in all categories except for headlights and seat belts. That's only because the low beams of the Long Range Model Y produce a little bit of glare. The rear seats have seatbelt anchors that are low in the seat, so they received a rating of Acceptable. It's an impressive result from Tesla.

RELATED: This Is The Best-Selling Electric Car In America

8 2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge - 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick +

Volvo XC40
Volvo

The fantastically-styled 2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge is among the safest electric SUVs. It has cornering and adaptive lighting and scored perfectly in almost all categories. In the areas of front crash prevention, vehicles must avoid or decrease speed before impacts. The rating for this test is Advanced. Volvo has some other very exciting plans to keep drivers safe in the future.

7 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge - 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick +

Volvo-C40_Recharge-2022-
Via: Netcarshow

The 2022 C40 Recharge is another electric SUV from Volvo. It has similar styling to the XC40, but with a more streamlined roof. While it got superb IIHS ratings, it did receive one Poor rating for front-row seatbelt reminders.

6 2022 Volkswagen ID.4 - 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick +

Volkswagen ID.4 front quarter view
Volkswagen

Volkswagen's original Type 1 Beetle has come a long way. The 2022 Volkswagen ID.4 has fantastic IIHS scores. The scores are all perfect, except for two areas. The ID.4 scored an Acceptable rating for high beam visibility and Advanced for front crash prevention. Volvo's ID.4 and Polestar 2 are some of the safest vehicles in the world.

5 2022 Audi E-Tron - 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick +

Audi-e-tron_UK-Version-2020-Rear
Via: Netcarshow

The 2022 Audi E-Tron has perfect ratings for the overall crash, overall side crash, and 4WD rollover. For its safety standards, this vehicle got the Top Safety Pick +. The high weight of this Audi (5795 lbs) might help provide structural support during collisions. The same ratings that apply to the 2022 model also apply to other models between 2019-2023. The Audi E-Tron S has similar safety ratings with a performance upgrade.

4 2022 Audi E-Tron Sportback - 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick +

Audi SQ8 E-Tron Sportback  Front Quarter View Parked
via Audi

This model has a similar style to the 2022 Audi E-Tron, but with a sleeker roofline. This Audi has some of the best IIHS ratings of any EV on this list. The only weak area is on the Digital Matrix Headlight trim package, where the low beams create some minor glare.

3 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E - 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick

Ford Mustang Mach-E in the city
Ford 

The 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E protects occupants with an arrangement of airbags and crumple zones. Even in cold weather, it's a very safe EV with a great range. As you'll notice from the IIHS crash tests, the driver and passenger space was well-preserved during front impacts. The only areas where the Mustang Mach-E didn't have a perfect score were the seat anchors, side crash tests, and headlights. The driver-side high beam is slightly suboptimal.

2 2021 Tesla Model 3 - 2021 IIHS Top Safety Pick +

Black 2021 Tesla Model 3
Via: Tesla

Crushing up Europe's best-selling 2021 EV in crash tests may be sad to watch, but it gives us useful information about the Model 3. The IIHS's 2021 Tesla Model 3 crash tests showed that driver space was maintained during impacts. All trim levels score perfectly in almost every area, including low and high beams. However, the IIHS decided the seat anchors for the rear were "too deep in the seat."

RELATED: Here's What Makes the Tesla Model 3 And Porsche Taycan The Best Electric Cars In 2021

1 2021 Tesla Model Y - 2021 IIHS Top Safety Pick +

2021 Tesla Model Y Front Quarter View
Via Tesla

Tesla says they design their vehicles to exceed safety standards. Judging from the ratings, it looks like the IIHS might agree. It's not easy to receive the Plus rating to go along with a Top Safety Pick. To get both, the vehicle needs to have IIHS-rated Good or Acceptable headlights as a standard option for all trim packages.