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Tesla Model S battery bursts into flames, car “totally destroyed” in 5 minutes

arstechnica.co.uk

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Re: Tesla Model S battery bursts into flames, car “totally destroyed” in 5 minutes

#4
A few months ago someone was test-driving a BMW when it burst into flames a block away from my home. The driver narrowly escaped unharmed; unlike this Tesla incident, there was no warning provided by the vehicle.

But I'm pretty sure none of you have read news articles about the BMW which burst into flames in Burnaby a few months ago, because non-electric cars bursting into flames is just something which happens. As long as Tesla incidents like this are news stories, I'd say they're doing pretty well.

Re: Tesla Model S battery bursts into flames, car “totally destroyed” in 5 minutes

#5
post #4

A few months ago someone was test-driving a BMW when it burst into flames a block away from my home. The driver narrowly escaped unharmed; unlike this Tesla incident, there was no warning provided by the vehicle. But I'm pretty sure none of you have read news articles about the BMW which burst into flames in Burnaby a few months ago, because non-electric cars bursting into flames is just something which happens. As l…

Funny, I was going to comment that I have never heard of a regular car spontaneously erupting into flames. Warning or no, that is a life-threatening situation. Imagine you had a couple of toddlers strapped in, somehow missed the warning notice, etc.

Re: Tesla Model S battery bursts into flames, car “totally destroyed” in 5 minutes

#6
post #5
post #4

A few months ago someone was test-driving a BMW when it burst into flames a block away from my home. The driver narrowly escaped unharmed; unlike this Tesla incident, there was no warning provided by the vehicle. But I'm pretty sure none of you have read news articles about the BMW which burst into flames in Burnaby a few months ago, because non-electric cars bursting into flames is just something which happens. As l…

Funny, I was going to comment that I have never heard of a regular car spontaneously erupting into flames. Warning or no, that is a life-threatening situation. Imagine you had a couple of toddlers strapped in, somehow missed the warning notice, etc.

In the UK there isn't a week goes past without a Vauxhall zafira (often several!) Bursting into flames.

Top Google link today:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1384280/family-of-five-miracul...

I know there's been a fight for a recall for around 5 years but I think that's now going to happen.

Tesla need to make many more cars explode in a fireball and they need to learn how to stonewall customers if they're to have any chance of joining the heady heights of mainstream car manufacturers.

Re: Tesla Model S battery bursts into flames, car “totally destroyed” in 5 minutes

#7
post #5
post #4

A few months ago someone was test-driving a BMW when it burst into flames a block away from my home. The driver narrowly escaped unharmed; unlike this Tesla incident, there was no warning provided by the vehicle. But I'm pretty sure none of you have read news articles about the BMW which burst into flames in Burnaby a few months ago, because non-electric cars bursting into flames is just something which happens. As l…

Funny, I was going to comment that I have never heard of a regular car spontaneously erupting into flames. Warning or no, that is a life-threatening situation. Imagine you had a couple of toddlers strapped in, somehow missed the warning notice, etc.

I had a friend who was driving home from University at the end of term, along a motorway. Without warning flames appeared from the bonnet. She pulled over hurriedly and jumped out of the car, to watch fire consume the car and all her possessions in just a few minute.

More anecdotal evidence, but yes ICE car fires are not uncommon. We all know that Teslas are better than ICE for safety, but that doesn't mean there isn't a marketing challenge to get the public to think like that.

Re: Tesla Model S battery bursts into flames, car “totally destroyed” in 5 minutes

#8
post #5
post #4

A few months ago someone was test-driving a BMW when it burst into flames a block away from my home. The driver narrowly escaped unharmed; unlike this Tesla incident, there was no warning provided by the vehicle. But I'm pretty sure none of you have read news articles about the BMW which burst into flames in Burnaby a few months ago, because non-electric cars bursting into flames is just something which happens. As l…

Funny, I was going to comment that I have never heard of a regular car spontaneously erupting into flames. Warning or no, that is a life-threatening situation. Imagine you had a couple of toddlers strapped in, somehow missed the warning notice, etc.

The engine catches fire at times. Also any wiring may catch fire by overheating the material around it.

I've seen car fires before on the side of the highway.

Re: Tesla Model S battery bursts into flames, car “totally destroyed” in 5 minutes

#9
I do appreciate stories such as this. I don't draw any conclusions from them, but they are nice data points to have. New technology comes with new performance and safety envelopes, often unknown even to the engineers who design them. Reporting on otherwise unknowable events is helpful to build a picture of what those envelopes are.

Without such reporting, it's unlikely that Tesla would have added the underbody plating when they did. Perhaps this incident is an aberration, or perhaps it is one of multiple incidents where the plating can be pierced and it leads to an upgrade. Either way, it's nice to know.

Regarding ICE cars, Ferrari had a problem with a certain mid-engine model a few generations back where a fuel line would disconnect under hard driving and spray high-pressure fuel on the (hot) engine to obvious result. I don't believe any one was killed, but drivers sometimes reported barely making it out of the car in time. Enough reports of such incidents led to Ferrari investigating and making sufficient changes to prevent the fires.

Re: Tesla Model S battery bursts into flames, car “totally destroyed” in 5 minutes

#10
Cars burn really well as it is. I saw someone hop a curb in front of me. Must have nicked the sump because there was a tiny flame under the now stopped car. I came back not more than 30 minutes later to see the fire brigade had put out a completely burnt out husk of a car.
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