A Tesla Model S Plaid caught fire in Pennsylvania, briefly trapping the driver inside
A high-end Tesla Model S Plaid caught fire Tuesday night in Haverford, Pennsylvania, briefly trapping the driver inside, according to the local fire department. A lawyer for the owner said the vehicle “spontaneously combusted.”
Firefighters from both the Gladwyne and Lower Merion Fire Departments arrived on the scene shortly before 9PM ET on Tuesday. The firefighters, who had been trained on how to respond to battery fires involving Tesla vehicles, “laid a 5 inch supply line into the scene so that we could keep a continual water stream on the fire to extinguish the fire and cool the batteries down to ensure complete extinguishment,” according to a statement from the Gladwyne Fire Department. The driver managed to escape and there were no injuries reported.
Tesla’s Model S Plaid is a high-end, ultra-quick version of the automaker’s original electric sedan. Tesla CEO Elon Musk held a splashy event last month to announce the first customer deliveries of the $130,000 vehicle. According to Ben Meiselas, a lawyer who works for the firm representing the unnamed owner, the Model S Plaid was one of the first 250 vehicles shipped to customers.
