Tesla Vehicle Goes Up In Flames At Charging Station: 'These Are Not Easy Fires To Put Out,' First Responder Says

Tesla Inc TSLA is under scrutiny again due to the intensity of a battery fire and the potential spread of hazardous materials.

What Happened: A Tesla vehicle burst into flames at a “Supercharger” station in Pennsylvania earlier this month.

The car proceeded to melt, resulting in a temporary road closure, according to a report from PCMag.

When firefighters arrived, they targeted the fire using a nearby hydrant. After most of the fire was extinguished, first responders began the cooling process of the vehicle’s battery.

“These are not easy fires to put out, and the hazmat concerns they pose are difficult to mitigate,” the Upper Allen Fire Department reportedly said.

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Why It Matters: This isn’t the first time a Tesla-related fire has been reported. In June, a Tesla charger seemingly malfunctioned and set the home of NFL star Randall Cobb ablaze.

In September, a Tesla owner told Business Insider that his Model Y suddenly began shaking and, after pulling over, burst into flames.

A similar scenario occurred in 2022. See below.

Passed a stalled @Tesla on the way to work. Well that escalated quickly! @elonmusk how does this happen?#fire #error #electricvehicles #Elon #batteries pic.twitter.com/IK8inNB1Ft

— SOV Distillery (@SonsofVancouver) May 21, 2022

At the time, Tesla found itself under the scanner of the U.S. federal transport regulator — the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — due to quality issues with its cars.

In the case of EVs, the battery chemistry can cause the vehicle to enter into a phenomenon known as thermal runaway. This is when the battery cells begin self-heating and consume more oxygen, which can cause the flames to reignite repeatedly.

Battery fires can also reportedly burn up to 1,000 degrees hotter than gas or diesel engine fires.

This latest Tesla fire, however, is particularly concerning given that it took place while the vehicle was charging.

The exact cause of the fire has not been made public. Images from the scene appear to show that multiple Superchargers were damaged by the flames.

Contrary to popular belief, EVs are less prone to fires compared to conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

According to the National Fire Protection Agency, there are about 25 fires per year for every 100,000 electric vehicles. In contrast, there are more than 1,500 fires per year for every 100,000 ICE vehicles. It’s important to note that this data may be skewed since the average age of EVs is significantly lower than that of ICE vehicles.

TSLA Price Action: Tesla shares were up 5.35% at $252.03 at the time of publication Monday afternoon, according to Benzinga Pro.

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This illustration was generated using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.