A Model S caught fire while supercharging in Norway (link in Norwegian)

[EarlyAdopter]

In case people missed it, we have a whole thread over here dedicated to the dangers of gas stations:

Gas stations are dangerous!

Warning: some of these are a bit graphic and disturbing.

 

[Canuck]

you know, to kind of point out the obvious, this kinda is a HUGE REMINDER not to leave your kids in the back seat of your MS even for quick errands or a quick trip to the bathroom while supercharging.

The odds of kids being hit by a car and injured in the parking lot are astronomically higher than being burned in the car. So if safety is the concern, leave them in the car.

 

[freeewilly]

I'm not drawing final conclusion here, but in this case, it's more likely Tesla is at fault, this accident is not on public street or someone's garage, it's a Model S charging at a Tesla Super Charging Station.

Anyway, my question is, who will pay for the damage of the burned Model S?

 

[tom66]

Anyway, my question is, who will pay for the damage of the burned Model S?

Tesla, the warranty covers all accidental fire damage. I wouldn't be surprised if Tesla are taking very good care of the driver to keep them from saying too much to the press. That being said the press reaction has been surprisingly muted.

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

Tesla, the warranty covers all accidental fire damage. I wouldn't be surprised if Tesla are taking very good care of the driver to keep them from saying too much to the press. That being said the press reaction has been surprisingly muted.

But, in this case the driver isn't the owner.

So Tesla gets to take care of TWO people.

What I find fascinating is how various Tesla related User Groups are handling it. The local Northwest Tesla Owners Facebook group seems to have opted to delete all posts related to it. Apparently they're of the belief that hiding it under the bed somehow does anyone any good.

Sometimes bad things happen when transporting large amounts of energy. That's just how it is pretty much regardless of the energy source.

All we can do is try to make it as a safe as possible, and what to do in the event that it happens.

Like with the Tesla it's critical to understand that the rear doors are electromechanical and each one has an emergency release latch in the carpet. That you need to use the latch to open the door in this kind of event. The same thing is true with a modern corvette for it's doors.

 

[EarlyAdopter]

Tesla, the warranty covers all accidental fire damage. I wouldn't be surprised if Tesla are taking very good care of the driver to keep them from saying too much to the press. That being said the press reaction has been surprisingly muted.

Perhaps because a car catching fire at a filling station is so common it's hardly news worthy?

A police car caught fire in November while filling up:
Temple University police car catches fire at North Philadelphia gas station | 6abc.com

A Ferrari caught fire in October while filling up:
Ferrari Catches Fire, Rolls Away On Its Own From Gas Station in Martinez | NBC Bay Area

I could go on and on, month after month, without end...

- - - Updated - - -

But, in this case the driver isn't the owner.

So Tesla gets to take care of TWO people.

What I find fascinating is how various Tesla related User Groups are handling it. The local Northwest Tesla Owners Facebook group seems to have opted to delete all posts related to it.

I wonder if there's more to this story than it seems. This quote from a Quora posting last year is interesting:

How do cars catch on fire? - Quora

Insurance Company Claims Adjusters are trained to be highly suspicious of car fires. Because they have learned that almost all vehicle fires are deliberately set by the owner (they check for financial difficulties or repair history problems) or by someone else as vandalism or revenge.

 

[fredag]

The supercharger at Sundebru / Brokelandsheia has been closed since this incident happened on January 1st. But the supercharger is still visible in the nav in the car and in Teslas web map of superchargers, without any notes.

I'm sure that Tesla is aware that this supercharger is down. Why don't they update the supercharger map in the car with a note informing drivers that this site is still closed?

The Norwegian Tesla owners club has sent a chademo adapter down to the nearest gas station, so that people who are stranded there at least can charge at 50kW at the chademo charger.

 

[Lessmog]

At least the map at supercharge.info has Sundebru marked as closed. But it would certainly be much better if the Tesla navigator were updated too, so people don't get stranded.

 

[frosken]

I wonder if it has something to do with the air intakes being blocked by snow and thus not providing cooling for the battery.

This is how my car looked when I parked in my garage after a week in the mountains. The intakes were completely blocked by hard snow.

 

[Yggdrasill]

I wonder if it has something to do with the air intakes being blocked by snow and thus not providing cooling for the battery.

This is how my car looked when I parked in my garage after a week in the mountains. The intakes were completely blocked by hard snow.

No, if the battery gets too hot, the car will shut down and refuse to charge. This fire likely has nothing to do with the battery.

 

[WarpedOne]

Nor charging.
My bet is on pyrotechnics gone wrong...

 

[DjiM]

Imagine having a seat at the burger joint, and -while feasting on those delicious french fries- semi-automatically checking the car with your smartphone to make sure that it's still charging. And then seeing this...

Better turn on that climate control...

 

[lolachampcar]

Oh, you're bad........

:0

 

[Earlian]

Know, it wasn't for real but, will respond anyway:

The least you want provide to a fire is more oxygen....

"Bioweapon defense mode" might be a solution, if the fire is only inside the car and if this function closes intake and pushs air out of the car?

 

[Chickenlittle]

Have any comments been posted on any media outlets from the owner of the car?

I have not seen any but as I remember they are guaranteed against fire and if so abroad he should get new car

 

[jason.a]

Imagine having a seat at the burger joint, and -while feasting on those delicious french fries- semi-automatically checking the car with your smartphone to make sure that it's still charging. And then seeing this...

Better turn on that climate control...

I found the perfect solution when I was out at the hardware store a few days ago... :biggrin:

 

[Yggdrasill]

I have not seen any but as I remember they are guaranteed against fire and if so abroad he should get new car

The guarantee isn't applicable if we're talking about arson or negligence. The owner should be getting a new car, and depending on the cause of the fire, either Tesla or the insurance company will cover the cost. (Assuming he has insurance that covers fires, and not just basic coverage.)

If the cause of the fire is arson and he doesn't have insurance, he needs to sue the arsonist. If it's negligence and he doesn't have insurance, he's out of luck.

 

[MsElectric]

No, if the battery gets too hot, the car will shut down and refuse to charge. This fire likely has nothing to do with the battery.

I too have a feeling that this fire has absolutely nothing to do with the battery and likely neither the charger nor anything to do with Tesla.

The facts will come out.

 

[Jaff]

Also from the nfpa... Fires in the U.S.


In 2014, there were "•193,500 were vehicle fires, causing 345 civilian fire deaths, 1,450 civilian fire injuries, and $1.5 billion in property damage."

Although the number of vehicle fires have decreased, 193,000 vehicle fires in a year (2014) ain't much to crow about imo...still totally unacceptable...

I couldn't help noticing the steady decrease in fires from 1980 onward. May correlate with reduction of Volkswagen Beetles on the roads?

I remember seeing many of those that caught fire due to failure of a rubber fuel hose above the engine.

 

[dhanson865]

The least you want provide to a fire is more oxygen....

"Bioweapon defense mode" might be a solution, if the fire is only inside the car and if this function closes intake and pushs air out of the car?

Bioweapon defense mode causes positive pressure by bringing in more air than can exit. No it does not directly push air out of the car. No it does not close intakes.

It opens the intakes and ramps fans up to max speed pulling way more air into the car.

*note push/pull are imatterial here because the fans are intake fans it really doesn't matter if they are in front of the filter or behind the filter they'll still increase intake airflow and bring more air into the car.