Tesla Model S Catches Fire During Test Drive in France

Jason Siu
by Jason Siu

Another Tesla Model S unexpectedly caught on fire.

This time around, it was during the automaker’s “Electric Road Trip” tour for the summer, and it occurred during a stop in Biarritz, France. According to a report from Electrek, the Tesla Model S P90D was on a test drive when the vehicle suddenly made a loud noise and displayed an alert on the dash that stated there was a problem with “charging.” The Tesla employee in the vehicle had the driver park the car on the side of the road, where all three people exited the vehicle. A moment later, according to witnesses, the car caught on fire.

Firefighters were able to arrive quickly onto the scene to control the fire, but the vehicle was completely destroyed. All three people inside the vehicle were unharmed and were able to safely exit the vehicle before the incident occurred, a Tesla spokesperson has confirmed.

SEE ALSO: Tesla Model S Burns Down While Plugged Into Supercharger

While this isn’t the first time a Tesla Model S has caught on fire, it is unlike the incident earlier this year when the electric sedan was plugged into a Supercharger. Earlier instances of Tesla Model S fires occurred after severe impacts, especially if debris on the road punctured the battery pack at high speed. Since then, the American automaker has added a titanium shield on the bottom of the battery pack, but it’s unclear if this particular Model S had an impact prior to the fire.

The company is working with authorities to establish the facts of the incident. It’s worth noting that although electric vehicle fires are widely reported, there’s no evidence that they are more frequent than traditional gasoline-powered vehicles catching on fire.

[Source: Electrek]

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Jason Siu
Jason Siu

Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.

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  • Jonny_Vancouver Jonny_Vancouver on Aug 17, 2016

    If these things didn't catch fire once in a while, I'd conclude they weren't trying hard enough.

  • Andr-Nelly Zlobinski Andr-Nelly Zlobinski on Aug 18, 2016

    Yep, thats possible because the heat what can be While charging fast. My thing to say, Elon go Hydrogen and beat everybody with that on a low price and a range of 700 Miles. But luckely no harm to the passengers

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