Tesla Model S Bursts Into Flames While Parked In Basement — How Safe Are Electric Cars?

Published: Tuesday, April 23, 2019, 12:03 [IST]

A Tesla Model S burst into flames in Shanghai, China. Thankfully, the premium electric car was parked in what seems like a basement when the incident occurred, therefore were no injuries or casualties in the incident.

However, the way the Tesla burst into flames, it does appear to be extremely dangerous if someone was indeed inside the car. Tesla too sensed this danger and sent a team over to Shanghai to investigate the cause of the fire.

Update: I just obtained the Full Version of the CCTV footage of the Model S Fire in Shanghai, China. Closer look instead of the one I posted before, full 45 seconds of smoke before it caught on fire. I hope @Tesla can release the investigation report ASAP. pic.twitter.com/PzPB4O46zq
— Jay in Shanghai (@ShanghaiJayin) April 22, 2019

The video footage released was recorded by a CCTV camera in the basement. Though it is a short video, it reveals the shocking incident in detail. The Tesla Model S was parked in the basement amidst quite a few premium cars.

It shows that there was absolutely no human activity in the basement when the incident occurred. Smoke starts billowing from underneath the Tesla Model S and just six seconds after the appearance of smoke, the car just bursts into flames.

All within a matter of ten seconds, the Tesla Model S was engulfed in flames. This is not the first time for a Tesla car to catch fire. It was in June 2018 that a Tesla Model S caught fire while being driven.

Tesla Model S Bursts Into Flames While Parked

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Thankfully, its occupants managed to get out of the car in time. Both incidents had a similar origin of fire. It can be seen that it is the battery pack and its chemicals that is fueling the fire. However, it is still uncertain as to what started the fire.

Is it an overheating problem? Or Is it a manufacturing defect? And how many cars out on the road can potentially turn into a flameball? These are the kind of questions that arise when the incidents are looked at. Tesla is yet to give out a statement regarding the incident that occurred in Shanghai, but we are sure that the team is at work trying to figure out the cause.

However, a Tesla spokesperson had said at the time of the fire that occurred last year, "Our initial investigation shows that the cabin of the vehicle was totally unaffected by the fire due to our battery architecture, which is designed to protect the cabin in the very rare event that a battery fire occurs."

This statement remains true as in both instances the video shows only the underbody of the car in flames. However, the incident in Shanghai could have been worse because it was parked in a tight manner with cars on both sides. There is absolutely no doubt that the fire from the Tesla damaged the Audi on its left and an unidentified car on its right.

Thoughts On Tesla Fire Incident In Shanghai

Teslas are claimed to be some of the safest cars in the world with its cars receiving a 5-star safety rating from multiple safety authorities. However, problems like these are making customers consider other options. It is worth noticing that there are only a few incidents of fire reported while there are thousands of Teslas running perfectly fine.

Is it something to do with maintenance or driving style or is it simply the case with a few cars that haven't been manufactured well? We can only hope that these questions get answered soon.

Video Source: Jay in Shanghai