Video: Tesla Model 3 catches fire after debris punctures electric-car’s battery

A driver and their passenger have escaped unharmed after the Tesla Model 3 they were travelling in caught fire earlier this week, due to debris from a truck piercing its battery pack.

A Tesla Model 3 electric car which caught fire in New South Wales earlier this week reportedly had its battery pack punctured by debris on the road.

In a video uploaded to Facebook by Penrose Rural Fire Brigade member Daniel Medd, the footage showed fire crews battling the blaze which occurred on the night of Tuesday 15 September, approximately 75 minutes south of the Sydney CBD.

According to Mr Medd, the fire occurred after the 2023 Tesla Model 3 – which appears to be a dual-motor variant – ran over debris from a truck it was travelling behind, puncturing its nickel-cobalt-aluminium battery.

While the driver and their passenger were able to escape unharmed, the Tesla is expected to be written-off as it took the fire crews more than 30 minutes to extinguish the blaze.

The Tesla fire is the second involving an electric car in less than a week, after a fire sparked by a battery removed from an MG ZS electric vehicle destroyed five cars in a holding yard near Sydney Airport on Monday night. 

As with the Tesla’s blaze, the MG ZS EV’s battery had previously been damaged but was being stored in an unsafe manner, leading to the fire.

Research officers from Fire Rescue NSW’s Safety of Alternative and Renewable Energy Technologies attended the scene of the Sydney Airport incident, aiming to learn more about how to control electric-car battery fires as the number of battery-powered vehicles on Australian roads continues to rise.

However, it is worth noting electric-car fires are significantly less common than those caused by petrol vehicles.

Earlier this year, Australian research firm EV FireSafe – which records electric-car battery fires across the globe – found at least 375 electric vehicle fires were reported globally between 2010 and 30 April 2023, with an additional 87 incidents being investigated or unverified.

Meantime, Fire Extinguisher Online – citing NSW Department of Fire and Emergency Services data – reported there were 2942 vehicle fires (including those powered by petrol, diesel or electricity) in New South Wales alone between July 2020 to June 2021.

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