In a blog post, Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk defended the electric car’s safety while revealing what was responsible for the Model S sedan fire.
According to Musk, a large, curved piece of metal, that had fallen off of a semi-trailer, punctured the armor plate underneath the Model S, piercing the vehicle’s battery. “The geometry of the object caused a powerful lever action as it went under the car, punching upward and impaling the Model S with a peak force on the order of 25 tons,” said Musk in the blog post.
The Model S owner did not suffer any injuries and the fire, which started in the front battery module, was contained by the electric vehicle’s built-in safety measures, including internal firewalls and vents, said Musk. Firefighters punctured the top of the Model S lithium-ion battery which led to the fire spreading before being extinguished by a combination of water and dry chemical extinguisher.
Despite the fire, Musk claims electric vehicles are safer and the fire would have been worse with a conventional vehicle that used gasoline. “A typical gasoline car only has a thin metal sheet protecting the underbody, leaving it vulnerable to destruction of the fuel supply lines or fuel tank, which causes a pool of gasoline to form and often burn the entire car to the ground,” said Musk.
Tesla's CEO also provided some numbers to further back his claims, saying there is an equivalent of one vehicle fire for every 20 million miles driven, for conventional vehicles, compared to one vehicle fire for 100 million miles for Tesla vehicles. The owner of the vehicle, identified as Robert Carlson, said in an email to Jerome Guillen, Director of Model S Programs, remained a firm believer of Tesla and their vehicles. Carlson said in the email, reprinted with permission on the Tesla blog, "I guess you can test for everything, but some other celestial bullet comes along and challenges your design. I agree that the car performed very well under such an extreme test. The batteries went through a controlled burn which the internet images really exaggerates."
After the news, and video, of the Model S fire surfaced, Tesla stock has taken a big hit. According to reports, Musk's personal worth has taken a hit, around $594 million, due to the falling stock price.
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk Identifies Cause Of Model S Sedan Fire, Defends Electric Car’s Safety
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