Electric carmaker Tesla launched an investigation after one of its Model S vehicles caught fire at a Supercharger station in Norway.
Tesla investigated the fire along with the Norwegian Accident Investigation Board, and concluded that the fire was caused by a fault in the car itself rather than the Supercharger station, writes Brad Anderson for Car Scoops. However there was no definitive conclusion as to the cause due to the fact that the car was completely destroyed by the blaze.
https://youtu.be/CWXN7ni4FTc
Investigation into Model S blaze remains inconclusive
Although some might be relieved to hear that the Tesla Supercharger station was not at fault, Model S owners will not be completely placated by the news. Graphic images of the aftermath of the fire show the car was left a pile of twisted, melted metal.
However it must be said that this was inevitable due to the way in which local firefighters responded to the blaze. They were instructed not to use water to put out the flames due to the risk of causing an electrical hazard from the battery pack.
As a result they left the car to burn while ensuring that the flames did not spread.
Tesla electric vehicles catch fire less frequently than gas-powered competitors
At first there were legitimate concerns that the Supercharger station was to blame. It would have been the first time that Tesla’s charging stations had caught fire, although there were a number of Model S fires in 2013 and 2014.
Now it looks as though we will never know what caused the fire. Tesla and its charging stations come in for a great amount of scrutiny as the technology is relatively new.
Supercharger stations charge the Tesla battery to 80% capacity in around 30 minutes, but the technology has performed well. Only 5 Model S vehicles have caught fire since 2012, with no injuries, and Tesla has provided a new vehicle to each of the affected owners.
By way of comparison, vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines catch fire at a far higher rate. According to the National Fire Protection Association, there are approximately 17 automobile fires per hour throughout the United States.
