
Dixie Electric Car, the first electric car designed and manufactured in the U.S. in more than 100 years, has been given a new rating, with its performance and safety lauded by some experts.
The ratings were announced Wednesday by the California Public Utilities Commission, the state agency tasked with overseeing electric car standards.
The car was awarded a 10-point rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which said the Model 3 was among the safest cars on the road.
The electric car also scored a score of 8.9, while its emissions were rated at 1,600 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2).
The rating comes as the electric car industry is in the midst of a surge in interest, with more than 2,600 companies now offering electric vehicles, including several in California.
Tesla, which launched its Model 3 in January, has sold more than 500,000 vehicles in the United States and plans to sell 100,000 more this year, CEO Elon Musk said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
In the United Kingdom, the British government has pledged to introduce new regulations to encourage electric vehicles by 2020.
A spokeswoman for the British Government said the government has been monitoring the EV industry and is working with electric car manufacturers on developing a range of measures to protect the public.
She said the new guidelines will apply to all electric vehicles.
Tesla is expected to report quarterly earnings on Thursday.