tpoltron
Member
The reason is almost certainly rollover.
I believe side airbags stay inflated for multiple rollover events while the steering wheel airbag deflates so the driver can steer the car out of trouble if the impact isn't too severe.
You can install our site as a web app on your iOS device by utilizing the Add to Home Screen feature in Safari. Please see this thread for more details on this.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
The reason is almost certainly rollover.
I think that can happen in a lot of cars in a crash even with a handle to pull on. Many modern cars lock the doors over a certain speed. I imagine that results in locked doors after a crash like this.
I dunno about that- if the impact is severe enough for the front airbags to go off, I can’t imagine there is going to be any steering going on after that (not to mention you may have a fractured wrist/hands/arms after detonation?) One random article said they deflated so quickly because it’s supposed to cushion you to a stop and not bounce your head off a springy surface only to have it whiplash back against the seat/headrest.I believe side airbags stay inflated for multiple rollover events while the steering wheel airbag deflates so the driver can steer the car out of trouble if the impact isn't too severe.
The airbags deflates on their own very quickly due to the porous nature of the airbag fabric. How it can be that they were still inflated and trapped the driver inside?
My bigger concern is that this is yet another instance of a battery reigniting hours later. Also with the battery running the length of the vehicle directly under the cabin, most likely flames engulfed the vehicle instantaneously unlike an ICE vehicle where it usually starts in the engine bay but in some instances the so-called firewall acts as a temporary barrier, or in the rear where the gas tank lies.
Then again, I'm not sure what the mortality rate is in a 90mph collision regardless of vehicle.
Tesla Model S catches fire in California parking lot and reignites hours later at a tow yardAside from that one Volt way back in 2011 that got crash tested by the IIHS/NHTSA, got stored in some facility upside down, then caught fire 3 weeks after the crash test, has there been any other cases of EV's battery packs exploding into flames after an accident? I've never heard of a Volt, Bolt, or Leaf catching fire, and those are 3 of the most populous plugins after Teslas.
The battery is made up of several modules and they have firewalls to slow or prevent the spread of the fire. Just because one module might catch on fire doesn't mean the entire battery pack will instantly ignite and engulf the entire vehicle. I'd rather be in a vehicle that has numerous firewalls than in an ICE vehicle where the fuel can instantly spray all over the vehicle and can't be slowed down or contained once the fuel has spilledMy bigger concern is that this is yet another instance of a battery reigniting hours later. Also with the battery running the length of the vehicle directly under the cabin, most likely flames engulfed the vehicle instantaneously unlike an ICE vehicle where it usually starts in the engine bay but in some instances the so-called firewall acts as a temporary barrier, or in the rear where the gas tank lies.
Then again, I'm not sure what the mortality rate is in a 90mph collision regardless of vehicle.
We don't know in that one whether he died from the accident or from the fire.7. Add to your latched list the Bellinzona case, where it is well documented that the driver was fully cremated in situ (reportedly the fire-brigade were delayed by jammed traffic so by the time they started to spray water it was more or less just on the remnant puddle of molten alloy)
Er, I meant non-Tesla EVs.
Moderator note: Please note this thread is for discussing a specific, unfortunate accident involving a Tesla Model S. Thank you.
Bruce.
Aside from that one Volt way back in 2011 that got crash tested by the IIHS/NHTSA, got stored in some facility upside down, then caught fire 3 weeks after the crash test, has there been any other cases of EV's battery packs exploding into flames after an accident? I've never heard of a Volt, Bolt, or Leaf catching fire, and those are 3 of the most populous plugins after Teslas.
It's too related to other incidents involving a Model S/X to limit it to specific accident.
There is at least one user seeing a pattern.
Now I dismiss that there is a pattern, but someone who feels like there is a pattern and can support it with evidence I say is someone who should post.
Where its 100% relevant as it's related.
Like in the early fires of a Model S there was a pattern. That pattern was the battery pack being penetrated by a foreign object. That was resolved by using a shield.
You shouldn't limit things just because the initial person who posed a theory didn't know what they were talking about.