Brand new Tesla vehicle catches fire twice in one day
theweathernetwork.com
Wednesday, December 19, 2018, 3:31 PM - The California driver of a new Tesla saw his car go up in flames twice in one day.
The problems started when the car started losing tire pressure on Tuesday. Things got worse when he took the car to a shop.
He managed to record one of the incidents, moments after his car was towed to an auto repair lot.
"I go in there, doing the paperwork and I start hearing a funny hissing sound. And I thought, oh, it must be something going on in the shop next door," the unidentified owner told CNN.
The hissing was followed by smoke and a spark.
Santa Clara County Fire put out the blaze but said there was potential for another to ignite.
"It was noticed that the vehicle was off-gassing, which is an indication that heat or a lot of energy built up in the battery still," Captain Bill Murphy said.
Crews spent almost six hours waiting for the car's battery to cool down. They then towed the car from the lot to another shop, where it re-ignited that evening. Crews monitored the vehicle for the remainder of the night.
The owner says he bought the Tesla three months ago and has only clocked 1,900 kilometres.
In a statement, Tesla says it is investigating the matter and is in contact with the responders who tended to the car.
"If this had been in the house, and we were on vacation, and this thing caught fire in the garage, the whole house could go under," the owner said.
