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2021 Model S Plaid/LR Fire

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You are correct that careful pedaling can avoid, but you have to make an effort. My spouse refuses to get a Tesla because she is worried about that.

Careful steering will also avoid an accident but it's not a "chore" when you learn to drive. Proper use of the pedal is nothing more than learning to drive properly. It's no harder than learning not to stab the brake pedal. I would argue easier in fact.

Mike
 
Careful steering will also avoid an accident but it's not a "chore" when you learn to drive. Proper use of the pedal is nothing more than learning to drive properly. It's no harder than learning not to stab the brake pedal. I would argue easier in fact.

Mike
Flexible regen is a normal feature on EVs that Tesla removed to hit an EPA number. I'm not sure the analogy with learning to steer and avoiding accidents has anything to do with options on managing how a car performs or decelerates. Choices are good given that not everyone has the same preferences or skills. There are still options on steering sensitivity, ride height, etc.
 
Guys do you think this is possible? How would you force the door open? Pretty sure you couldn't kick open a door if it was locked. Window yes, but expect door lock is crash tested not to open.


Reuters reported that the owner of the Plaid Model S was an “executive entrepreneur” and that he wasn’t able to get out of the car. The electronic door system failed and the owner had to use force to push it open, according to the attorneys
 
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Guys do you think this is possible? How would you force the door open? Pretty sure you couldn't kick open a door if it was locked. Window yes, but expect door lock is crash tested not to open.


Reuters reported that the owner of the Plaid Model S was an “executive entrepreneur” and that he wasn’t able to get out of the car. The electronic door system failed and the owner had to use force to push it open, according to the attorneys
There is a mechanical release.

page 14 of the manual . Perhaps he used that (like he should have.)
 
Guys do you think this is possible? How would you force the door open? Pretty sure you couldn't kick open a door if it was locked. Window yes, but expect door lock is crash tested not to open.


Reuters reported that the owner of the Plaid Model S was an “executive entrepreneur” and that he wasn’t able to get out of the car. The electronic door system failed and the owner had to use force to push it open, according to the attorneys
You cannot kick out the window of laminated windows like Model S LR/Plaid unless you have heavily smashed it all over with a hammer first. Think about the windshield, it's very difficult to smash it enough to weaken it. It's possible but it will take you a lot of time. The old tempered glass would be easier.
 
1. Rich guy gets Tesla Saturday.
2. Gets drunk at dinner Tuesday and drives home.
3. While driving impaired, runs over decorative rocks which line his neighborhood streets.
4. Rock damages his battery pack and fire ensues.
5. Impaired driver flees scene while volunteer fire department extinguishes the blaze.
6. After sobering up for two days, rich guy finds noted ambulance chasing attorney Mark Garagos to represent him.
Any questions?
 
Blah, there's not going to be much to see, drove by at night and it seems they paved over the area.

and by the way... uphill. ;)

You generally cannot tell if a car is moving at all, let alone its direction of travel, from a still photograph. It could have been rolling backward. Again I’m not saying it wasn’t driving up hill, just that you visiting the location provides zero evidence in support of *any* claims about any movement that may or may not have taken place after the driver exited the vehicle.
 
You cannot kick out the window of laminated windows like Model S LR/Plaid unless you have heavily smashed it all over with a hammer first. Think about the windshield, it's very difficult to smash it enough to weaken it. It's possible but it will take you a lot of time. The old tempered glass would be easier.
That's simply not true.

The windshield is significantly thicker and is affixed on all sides with adhesive.

The side windows are thinner laminated glass, and more importantly frameless, only affixed on the bottom. Much easier to kick out than in.
 
You generally cannot tell if a car is moving at all, let alone its direction of travel, from a still photograph. It could have been rolling backward. Again I’m not saying it wasn’t driving up hill, just that you visiting the location provides zero evidence in support of *any* claims about any movement that may or may not have taken place after the driver exited the vehicle.

To make a blanket statement that visiting the scene after the fact is irrelevant or that you can't tell the direction of travel from a still photo of that scene is nonsense. If the road hadn't been altered since the incident, you may very well be able to get an idea of the direction of travel and if the car was on fire while moving. If there were burn marks on the road for say 50 feet and the leading edge was a light burn and the edge (where it came to rest) was a heavy burn, it's likely the car was on fire while still moving and you know the direction. That would at least lend credence to the reports that the car was on fire while moving uphill. Whether or not the driver was still inside while it was scorching the road would not be known: it could be that bystanders were mistaken and didn't see the driver and thought he exited sooner than he did. But if the road was repaved, the evidence would be gone anyway.

Mike
 
You cannot kick out the window of laminated windows like Model S LR/Plaid unless you have heavily smashed it all over with a hammer first. Think about the windshield, it's very difficult to smash it enough to weaken it. It's possible but it will take you a lot of time. The old tempered glass would be easier.
That's simply not true.

The windshield is significantly thicker and is affixed on all sides with adhesive.

The side windows are thinner laminated glass, and more importantly frameless, only affixed on the bottom. Much easier to kick out than in.

Don't believe it? Watch this fireman who is unable to get out of a laminated window from the inside until it is completely smashed, then he kicks it out.

The glass in the frameless windows also has to slide up fractionally when you close them, so it will be more difficult to kick it out because it's partly held in place by the car at the top as well as the bottom.

I don't believe you can kick out an undamaged laminated window, or not without a lot of effort and a tool. You may be able to get the windshield out. These people managed. I didn't find any videos of anyone successfully kicking out an undamaged laminated window.

 
1. Rich guy gets Tesla Saturday.
2. Gets drunk at dinner Tuesday and drives home.
3. While driving impaired, runs over decorative rocks which line his neighborhood streets.
4. Rock damages his battery pack and fire ensues.
5. Impaired driver flees scene while volunteer fire department extinguishes the blaze.
6. After sobering up for two days, rich guy finds noted ambulance chasing attorney Mark Garagos to represent him.
Any questions?

Did I read that his firm is a Tesla short seller? That would certainly yield an interesting angle!
 
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Thought of something else. Is it possible the new auto shift system put the car in neutral?
As I understand it, Auto Shift only works once, when shifting out of Park and into Drive or Reverse, that is currently the extent of its functionality. So if it's shifted into reverse out of the driveway it will not shift it into Drive for you later. It will not shift into Park or Neutral either. I believe it will not work again until you Park (or is it until you turn off the car and exit?). Whether in the future Auto Shift will do more than shift once per drive, it currently does not do more than one shift.

Perhaps you can explain further, in your theory how would the car being in neutral have affected the situation, it is possible to manually shift into neutral so what do you think that might have done to explain the accident/fire?
 
To make a blanket statement that visiting the scene after the fact is irrelevant or that you can't tell the direction of travel from a still photo of that scene is nonsense. If the road hadn't been altered since the incident, you may very well be able to get an idea of the direction of travel and if the car was on fire while moving. If there were burn marks on the road for say 50 feet and the leading edge was a light burn and the edge (where it came to rest) was a heavy burn, it's likely the car was on fire while still moving and you know the direction. That would at least lend credence to the reports that the car was on fire while moving uphill. Whether or not the driver was still inside while it was scorching the road would not be known: it could be that bystanders were mistaken and didn't see the driver and thought he exited sooner than he did. But if the road was repaved, the evidence would be gone anyway.

Mike
I never claimed to know what the car was doing. Witness said it was rolling forward. I can only tell you that if it were rolling forward on that road in that spot, then it was going uphill. I walk this road often. You cannot drive fast on it. I'll go down there now that it's light and take a look/pic. I live a half mile away at the other end.
 
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