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Tesla Model S Burns to the Ground While Using Supercharger in Norway

Electric vehicles have plenty of advantages over the vehicles we feed at the gas pump. Avoiding fire hazards isn't one of them, though, as exemplified by a recent Tesla Model S that burned to a crisp while using a Supercharger over in Norway.
Tesla Model S Burns to the Ground in Norway 1 photo
Photo: igjerstad.no
The incident, which reduced most of the car to a pile of ashes, took place on January 1. The owner of the Model S in question had plugged his car into a Supercharger station, leaving the vehicle afterwards.

As you'll be able to see in the video below, which came to our attention thanks to Redditor Vik1ng, the EV was engulfed by the flames, with the charging station also burning in the process.

Since we're talking about Lithium-Ion batteries, firefighters used a special chemical solution to fight the flames. Fortunately, nobody was hurt in the fiery incident.

Taking sides

While Lithium-Ion batteries catching fire while charging aren't anything new, the flaming incident has led to boiling debates over the internet. As a result, a number of what we like to call grey arguments have emerged.

For instance, certain people question the safety of the Supercharger station involved in the fire, talking about a temporary installation.

Others have rushed to compare the incident with the wave of hoverboard fires. Sure, the latter are also being caused by Lithium-Ion batteries bursting into flames, but comparing the cheap Chinese hardware to Tesla's batteries simply doesn't make sense. Brand- and image-related details aside, there's a reason for the hefty price of the Model S.

Waiting for Tesla's response

We're pretty sure Tesla will investigate the fire and come up with a solution, if necessary. That's because the Palo Alto automaker has kept a close eye on previous flaming Model S incidents.

We'll remind you that, back in 2013, a pair of Model S crashes that brought underbody damage led to the vehicles catching fire. Upon digging into the matter, Tesla added a titanium underbody shield, as well as aluminum deflector plates to the Model S.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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