Watch: Tesla Model S caught on video going up in flames "out of the blue"

midian182

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What just happened? Tesla boss Elon Musk might be wishing for 2018 to hurry up and end, after the company was once again hit with some negative publicity. On this occasion, a Tesla Model S was caught on camera as it went up in flames on a California highway.

The vehicle belongs to British director Michael Morris, who directed NBC’s The Slap and was behind the camera for several episodes of hit TV shows, including House of Cards, 13 Reasons Why, and Preacher. The incident was shared by his wife, actress Mary McCormack (Deep Impact, In Plain Sight), who posted it on Twitter.

Like any other vehicle, an EV could catch fire after a serious impact, but McCormack tweeted that this happened “out of the blue,” and there was “no accident.” She added that Morris was flagged down by a passing couple who noticed the flames and told him to pull over. “And thank god my three little girls weren’t in the car with him,” she said. McCormack added that the autopilot feature had not been engaged at the time and the car was a “normal Tesla.”

Sheriff’s Lieutenant William Nash said there were no injuries, adding that a log entry cited the possibility of a faulty battery.

There is speculation that the battery pack could have been punctured by an object hitting the underside of the car without the driver realizing. Back in 2014, Tesla offered Model S owners a new titanium/aluminum underbody plate to prevent battery punctures, following two fires that were caused by the plates being pierced. There has been at least one previous incident of a fire starting without any impact.

Tesla said it is investigating the incident. In a statement, the company called it "an extraordinarily unusual occurrence."

This year has seen Tesla deal with the crash that killed driver Walter Huang, who had his Model X in autopilot mode at the time, as well as production issues, NHTSA and NTSB investigations, lawsuits, and the (temporary) failure to receive Consumer Reports' recommendation.

Some positive pieces of recent Tesla news came in the form of praise for its Model 3’s battery, and the announcement of August’s Autopilot update that will begin to enable “full self-driving features.”

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"This year has seen Tesla deal with the crash that killed driver Walter Huang, who had his Model X in autopilot mode at the time, as well as production issues, NHTSA and NTSB investigations, lawsuits, and the (temporary) failure to receive Consumer Reports' recommendation."

How does this compare to any other manufacturer? When I see accidents, it is not Tesla that is involved.
 
What press does today is complete crap. They search for every bad story related to Tesla vehicles and make it go viral. What about all the other normal cars that catch fire? That doesn't count? Or it has to be over 1000 dead people to count?
I really believe that someone or some companies hate Tesla for doing what it did and being so successful.
 
https://crateinsider.com/in-case-of-fire-a-race-car-fire-suppression-system-buyers-guide/
This shouldn't add more than 5 grand to the price of the car.

yeeeman said; "I really believe that someone or some companies hate Tesla for doing what it did and being so successful." It's an unfortunate part of human nature to focus on the most successful person or company and exaggerate their faults while trying to take them down. Journalists and keyboard warriors are the worst offenders
 
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Seems like a battery problem phones, hoverboards and cars all seem to be prone to. Is there many places to service an electric car out there yet?
 
Hmmmmmm .... batteries again?!?!?! I think I better put my hearing aid away before I get my own nasty surprise!
Hearing aids use zinc-oxide batteries not lithium ion. I'm sure you probably knew that but many other idoits out there don't so j felt like I needed to clarify
 
I'm glad we don't have a news story each time a car catches fire, there would be allot of pages to scroll through, especially in Sweden!
 
What press does today is complete crap. They search for every bad story related to Tesla vehicles and make it go viral. What about all the other normal cars that catch fire? That doesn't count? Or it has to be over 1000 dead people to count?
I really believe that someone or some companies hate Tesla for doing what it did and being so successful.
Elon Musk does and says publicly, everything he possibly can, to draw attention to himself, his alleged "visionary" status, and his product(s), plus his "goals", "dreams", and "his vast future accomplishments:.

In short, he has drank enough of his own Kool-aid, that his next endeavor should be an NPO, offering a 12 step program, and campaigning under the name of, "Windbags Anonymous".
 
What press does today is complete crap. They search for every bad story related to Tesla vehicles and make it go viral. What about all the other normal cars that catch fire? That doesn't count? Or it has to be over 1000 dead people to count?
I really believe that someone or some companies hate Tesla for doing what it did and being so successful.

This time they did not have to search long; the Tesla owner reported it.

Look, the root condition of fires that may be spontaneous combusted is not so much the car as it is the lithium ion battery. That includes electric hover boards, Galaxy Note Book Tablets, lithium batteries restricted from airplane cargo holds, etc. Any and all lithium ion battery fires, most especially those that may be spontaneous or have indicators of thermal runaway should be vigorously investigated for this still nascent technology. Tesla, because it has the biggest and most powerful battery drive trains is the poster child for many aspects, positive and negative, including fires.
 
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Elon Musk does and says publicly, everything he possibly can, to draw attention to himself, his alleged "visionary" status, and his product(s), plus his "goals", "dreams", and "his vast future accomplishments:.

In short, he has drank enough of his own Kool-aid, that his next endeavor should be an NPO, offering a 12 step program, and campaigning under the name of, "Windbags Anonymous".


I think he can do whatever the heck he wants. You can draw attention to yourself as well, but strangely enough even though you try very hard nothing is happening so far.
Also give me an example of someone else that alone changed the 2 most powerful industries of their time and have been under the radar? If you cant then shut up already with the smartass jokes you are trying to pull on him on every Tesla/SpaceX article.
 
What press does today is complete crap. They search for every bad story related to Tesla vehicles and make it go viral. What about all the other normal cars that catch fire? That doesn't count? Or it has to be over 1000 dead people to count?
I really believe that someone or some companies hate Tesla for doing what it did and being so successful.
Agree. I would say they are just adding fuel to the fire, but then Tesla's don't use fuel. I love our Model S. They are great cars.
 
I think he can do whatever the heck he wants. You can draw attention to yourself as well, but strangely enough even though you try very hard nothing is happening so far.
In what way? I mean I haven't tried to float any business propositions or made any claims as to my ability to have a Martian colony up and running anytime soon. In fact, since this is a social forum, I'd be banned for fund raising of any kind, or for championing any business endeavor, I might put forth.

Tesla motors has lost money in the majority of quarters it's been operating. Yet still, the wide eyed millennial Musk cult members are still cheering, "go Elon". I think he's got you sucked in with his, "all the big industries are trying to bury me because I'm so brilliant", "com-brag-plaining".

Musk talked Panasonic out of billions of dollars to build "HIS" battery "giga factory". Did he invent lithium batteries? Certainly not. Did he change the battery industry? Not as much as you'\d like to fantasize he did. Panasonic's money did.

Did he build the Kennedy Space center? No. Did he appropriate US government property, technology, and tax payer dollars to get it back up and running? The answer here again is a resounding, "yes he did".

Have 23% of Tesla Model 3 deposits been returned? Well, according to the press, yes they have. But then, you want to claim they're making stuff up, just so they can pick on your BFF Elon

You fans of Musk remind me of holocaust deniers.

Also give me an example of someone else that alone changed the 2 most powerful industries of their time and have been under the radar?
That would be off topic...:D

If you cant then shut up already with the smartass jokes you are trying to pull on him on every Tesla/SpaceX article.
OK, this is an op-ed forum. As such, points of view opposing yours, may be freely expressed, and trust me, I will continue to express mine.

What a mamber can't do is
If you cant then shut up already with the smartass jokes you are trying to pull on him on every Tesla/SpaceX article
What a member cannot do, is concoct some sort of bizarre "trial by ordeal" challenge, demanding that if said challenge isn't met, the member must shut up.

In fact, one member can't tell another to "shut up", under any circumstance, in this open forum, period. This is known as an "ad hominem attack".

And simply because I am un-afflicted with "Musk hero worship syndrome", is no reason to put a guy down..

What you might consider doing, is sending out a bunch of PMs to all your little "Cult of Musk" groupies, and gang up on me. Perhaps something like this, "that SOB cranky is picking on the most fabulous carnival barker and fund raiser the world has ever known", let's get him!

While you're there, tell them I said Musk is trying to hijack "existentialism", with his drivel about how, "we might be living in a computer simulation". Tell them I said Jean Paul Sartre is a windbag too while you're at it.

"I think, therefore I post", to paraphrase Descartes, and will continue to do so.:p

Hm, maybe I should change my sig to "Cogito ergo escribere'". .......Nah, it's fine the way it is.
 
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What press does today is complete crap. They search for every bad story related to Tesla vehicles and make it go viral. What about all the other normal cars that catch fire? That doesn't count? Or it has to be over 1000 dead people to count?
I really believe that someone or some companies hate Tesla for doing what it did and being so successful.
Tesla is the company everyone talks about lately so only it's common sense press is gonna talk about Telsa catching fire not some riced Honda Civic. Lately Tesla has been getting bad press and one of the reasons might be Elon Musk attacking journalists for their dishonesty so they turned on him. Anyway, other "normal" cars usually don't catch fire for no reason.
 
I really believe that someone or some companies hate Tesla for doing what it did and being so successful.
Tesla loses money hand over fist, can't deliver the cars it promised, has to return people's deposits, and now some examples spontaneously catch fire,. Is that what you millennials categorize as "successful"?

The next round of Tesla/Musk Kool-aid is on me. Cheers!
 
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