Berkeley, California:
A Tesla Inc Model S Plaid electric car burst into flames on Tuesday whilst the owner was driving, just 3 days following the $129,900, best-of-the-variety car or truck was delivered following its June launch, an lawyer for the driver told Reuters.
The driver, identified as an “executive entrepreneur”, was initially not in a position to get out of the car or truck since its electronic door method failed, prompting the driver to “use force to push it open,” Mark Geragos, of Geragos & Geragos, stated on Friday.
The car or truck continued to move for about 35 feet to 40 feet (11 to 12 meters) prior to turning into a “fireball” in a residential location close to the owner’s Pennsylvania home.
“It was a harrowing and horrifying experience,” Geragos stated.
“This is a brand new model… We are doing an investigation. We are calling for the S Plaid to be grounded, not to be on the road until we get to the bottom of this,” he stated.
Tesla did not have an instant comment when contacted by Reuters.
Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk touted the functionality version of its Model S sedan as getting “faster than any Porsche, safer than any Volvo” at a launch occasion at the automaker’s factory in Fremont, California, last month.
Earlier in April, he stated the new Model S sedan and Model X sport utility car had a new battery pack.
“It took quite a bit of development to ensure that the battery of the new S/X is safe,” Musk stated on a conference contact, addressing production delays. “There were more challenges than expected in developing the new version.”
Local fire authorities in a now-deleted Facebook post stated “a Tesla was on fire” and that they cooled “the batteries down to ensure complete extinguishment”.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated it is “in touch with relevant agencies and the manufacturer to gather information about the incident”.
“If data or investigations show a defect or an inherent risk to safety exists, NHTSA will take action as appropriate to protect the public,” the federal security agency stated.
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