A fire that began in the battery pack of one of the new Tesla model S cars has caused quite a stir. A statement that was released by Tesla confirms that the battery was responsible. I hope this doesn’t scare people from using electric power over old fashioned gas power. The good news is, no one was hurt in this incident.
Shares of Tesla Motors Inc. fell more than 6 percent Wednesday after an Internet video showed flames spewing from the vehicle. So much for being the safest car in America, eh?
The liquid-cooled 85 kilowatt-hour battery in the Tesla Model S sits right under the passenger compartment floor. It uses a lithium style battery similar to the batteries in laptop computers and cell phones. Investors and companies have been particularly sensitive to the batteries’ fire risks, especially given issues in recent years involving the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid car and Boeing’s new 787 plane.
I personally don’t see what the big deal is. Technology is getting better and better. I mean, when it comes to fires, nothing can be worse than an engine filled with gasoline, yet these people are complaining about a possible battery fire? Get real…….
Firefighters did say that the fire was a unique one that caused them problems. They had to resort to dry chemicals to extinguish the fire because they said the water only seemed to intensify the flame. The flame even came back after all their attempts.
Get this; they actually had to saw the front of the car open with one of those circle buzz saws to get to the battery, just to apply water on it directly!
The accident happened as the Tesla’s driver was going south on Route 167 through the Seattle suburb of Kent according to officials. The driver said he hit some metal debris on the road and quickly exited off. That’s when the car became disabled.
According to the driver, he smelled something burning, then the car caught fire. Firefighters got there pretty quickly, but remained on the scene for quite some time. To me, this looks like a freak accident. Something close to the sinking of the Titanic. Well okay, that was pushing it, but you get the picture.
Tesla said the flames were contained to the front of the car because of it’s safety design and construction. Tesla released a statement reassuring the press that this wasn’t a spontaneous combustion. They said the car had to have hit something for a fire like that to start.
Okay, fair enough. I’d prefer a graceful fire any day over an exploding gasoline powered engine. What do you think?
Of course this is going to effect sales, but who knows for how long. I believe Tesla Motors Inc is on the right track by introducing battery powered vehicles. Hopefully other car manufacturers and oil companies don’t team up against them and use this incident to create propaganda about electric cars!
Cabbizoetron Sandchesters says
That’s not a car fire….wait…whu…..oh,,,,,, damn! That’s some GOOD 3D animation.