Unemployed UAW
2013-10-04 04:39:44 UTC
SEATTLE A fire that destroyed a Tesla electric car near
Seattle began in the vehicle's battery pack, officials said
Wednesday, creating challenges for firefighters who tried to put
out the flames.
Company spokeswoman Liz Jarvis-Shean said the fire Tuesday was
caused by a large metallic object hitting one of the battery
pack's modules in the pricey Model S. The fire was contained to
a small section at the front of the vehicle, she said, and no
one was injured.
Shares of Tesla Motors Inc. fell more than 6 percent Wednesday
after an Internet video showed flames spewing from the vehicle,
which Tesla has touted as the safest car in America.
The liquid-cooled 85 kilowatt-hour battery in the Tesla Model S
is mounted below the passenger compartment floor and uses
lithium-ion chemistry similar to the batteries in laptop
computers and mobile phones. Investors and companies have been
particularly sensitive to the batteries' fire risks, especially
given issues in recent years involving the Chevrolet Volt plug-
in hybrid car and Boeing's new 787 plane.
In an incident report released under Washington state's public
records law, firefighters wrote that they appeared to have
Tuesday's fire under control, but the flames reignited. Crews
found that water seemed to intensify the fire, so they began
using a dry chemical extinguisher.
After dismantling the front end of the vehicle and puncturing
holes in the battery pack, responders used a circular saw to cut
an access hole in the front section to apply water to the
battery, according to documents. Only then was the fire
extinguished.
The incident happened as the Tesla's driver was traveling
southbound on state Route 167 through the Seattle suburb of
Kent, said Trooper Chris Webb of the Washington State Patrol.
The driver said he believed he had struck some metal debris on
the freeway, so he exited the highway and the vehicle became
disabled.
The driver, who did not return a phone call seeking comment,
told authorities he began to smell something burning and then
the vehicle caught fire.
Firefighters arrived within 3 minutes of the first call. It's
not clear from records how long the firefighting lasted, but
crews remained on scene for 2 1/2 hours.
Tesla said the flames were contained to the front of the $70,000
vehicle due to its design and construction.
"This was not a spontaneous event," Jarvis-Shean said. "Every
indication we have at this point is that the fire was a result
of the collision and the damage sustained through that."
There was too much damage from the fire to see what damage
debris may have caused, Webb said.
The automobile website Jalopnik.com posted photos of the blaze
that it says were taken by a reader, along with a video.
Shares of Palo Alto, Calif.-based Tesla have risen more than 400
percent this year. But some investors likely were alarmed that
the fire could be an indication of a flaw in the company's
battery packs, and Tesla shares fell $12.05 to $180.95 Wednesday.
Also contributing to the stock's decline was a rare analyst
downgrade. R.W. Baird analyst Ben Kallo cut his rating on the
stock from "Outperform" to "Neutral," telling investors that
while he's still bullish on Tesla's long-term prospects, the
company has "significant milestones" during the next 18 months
that come with risk.
The company's battery system and the Model S itself have
received rave reviews, including a top crash-test score from the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a tie for the
highest auto rating ever recorded by Consumer Reports magazine.
But lithium-ion batteries have raised concerns in other vehicles.
Two years ago, battery fires broke out in three Chevrolet Volt
plug-in hybrid cars after crash-testing, but NHTSA investigators
determined that the Volt was no more risky than vehicles with
conventional gasoline engines.
Officials from General Motors Co. and the government believed
the fires were caused by coolant leaking from damaged plastic
casing around the batteries after side-impact test crashes. At
the time, they said there were no real-world fires in any Volts.
Still, the fires tarnished the Volt's reputation and cut into
sales. Recently, though, sales have recovered. Sales are up
about 3 percent this year, with GM selling about 17,000 Volts
through September.
Earlier this year, Boeing Co.'s worldwide fleet of 787s was
grounded because lithium-ion batteries overheated or caught
fire. Flights resumed four months later after a revamped battery
system was installed.
Under normal circumstances, investigators from NHTSA, the
government's auto safety watchdog, would travel to Washington
state to investigate the Tesla crash. But with the partial
government shutdown, NHTSA's field investigations have been
suspended.
http://www.startribune.com/business/226195601.html
Seattle began in the vehicle's battery pack, officials said
Wednesday, creating challenges for firefighters who tried to put
out the flames.
Company spokeswoman Liz Jarvis-Shean said the fire Tuesday was
caused by a large metallic object hitting one of the battery
pack's modules in the pricey Model S. The fire was contained to
a small section at the front of the vehicle, she said, and no
one was injured.
Shares of Tesla Motors Inc. fell more than 6 percent Wednesday
after an Internet video showed flames spewing from the vehicle,
which Tesla has touted as the safest car in America.
The liquid-cooled 85 kilowatt-hour battery in the Tesla Model S
is mounted below the passenger compartment floor and uses
lithium-ion chemistry similar to the batteries in laptop
computers and mobile phones. Investors and companies have been
particularly sensitive to the batteries' fire risks, especially
given issues in recent years involving the Chevrolet Volt plug-
in hybrid car and Boeing's new 787 plane.
In an incident report released under Washington state's public
records law, firefighters wrote that they appeared to have
Tuesday's fire under control, but the flames reignited. Crews
found that water seemed to intensify the fire, so they began
using a dry chemical extinguisher.
After dismantling the front end of the vehicle and puncturing
holes in the battery pack, responders used a circular saw to cut
an access hole in the front section to apply water to the
battery, according to documents. Only then was the fire
extinguished.
The incident happened as the Tesla's driver was traveling
southbound on state Route 167 through the Seattle suburb of
Kent, said Trooper Chris Webb of the Washington State Patrol.
The driver said he believed he had struck some metal debris on
the freeway, so he exited the highway and the vehicle became
disabled.
The driver, who did not return a phone call seeking comment,
told authorities he began to smell something burning and then
the vehicle caught fire.
Firefighters arrived within 3 minutes of the first call. It's
not clear from records how long the firefighting lasted, but
crews remained on scene for 2 1/2 hours.
Tesla said the flames were contained to the front of the $70,000
vehicle due to its design and construction.
"This was not a spontaneous event," Jarvis-Shean said. "Every
indication we have at this point is that the fire was a result
of the collision and the damage sustained through that."
There was too much damage from the fire to see what damage
debris may have caused, Webb said.
The automobile website Jalopnik.com posted photos of the blaze
that it says were taken by a reader, along with a video.
Shares of Palo Alto, Calif.-based Tesla have risen more than 400
percent this year. But some investors likely were alarmed that
the fire could be an indication of a flaw in the company's
battery packs, and Tesla shares fell $12.05 to $180.95 Wednesday.
Also contributing to the stock's decline was a rare analyst
downgrade. R.W. Baird analyst Ben Kallo cut his rating on the
stock from "Outperform" to "Neutral," telling investors that
while he's still bullish on Tesla's long-term prospects, the
company has "significant milestones" during the next 18 months
that come with risk.
The company's battery system and the Model S itself have
received rave reviews, including a top crash-test score from the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a tie for the
highest auto rating ever recorded by Consumer Reports magazine.
But lithium-ion batteries have raised concerns in other vehicles.
Two years ago, battery fires broke out in three Chevrolet Volt
plug-in hybrid cars after crash-testing, but NHTSA investigators
determined that the Volt was no more risky than vehicles with
conventional gasoline engines.
Officials from General Motors Co. and the government believed
the fires were caused by coolant leaking from damaged plastic
casing around the batteries after side-impact test crashes. At
the time, they said there were no real-world fires in any Volts.
Still, the fires tarnished the Volt's reputation and cut into
sales. Recently, though, sales have recovered. Sales are up
about 3 percent this year, with GM selling about 17,000 Volts
through September.
Earlier this year, Boeing Co.'s worldwide fleet of 787s was
grounded because lithium-ion batteries overheated or caught
fire. Flights resumed four months later after a revamped battery
system was installed.
Under normal circumstances, investigators from NHTSA, the
government's auto safety watchdog, would travel to Washington
state to investigate the Tesla crash. But with the partial
government shutdown, NHTSA's field investigations have been
suspended.
http://www.startribune.com/business/226195601.html