A Tesla Models S sedan crashed into the guardrails on motorway A93 between Siegenburg and Abensberg a few days ago. Happily, however, everybody got away from the hair-raising accident on their own feet, the Tesla driver having sustained only minor injuries.
In the pics provided by the Abensberg fire department, it’s easy to see that the crash was a biggie, destroying the front end, front left wheel, and roughening up the left-hand side of the battery-powered sedan. Despite the severity of the impact, the Tesla Model S is a sturdy bird and the passenger compartment has barely even flexed. An electric car crash is more problematic than a conventional car crash, though. For everyone.
You see, a crashed electric car, especially one with a large battery such as the Tesla Model S, poses a real hazard because batteries have this habit of leaking and combusting. Needless to say, that’s a serious problem for both the occupants and the emergency personnel on the scene. Most surprisingly, the brave men and women of the Abensberg fire department know how to prevent such a situation from occurring.
To shut down an EV after a crash and minimize the chances of a fire, the firefighters of Abensberg have been instructed to pay special attention to every little cable and component painted orange. First thing the firefighters did was look in the front trunk for a tag with the instruction to cut the orange loop next to it.
If the front trunk loop is inaccessible, firefighters should open the rear passenger door closest to the charge port to locate an orange label that indicates where to cut into the C-pillar with a 12-inch circular saw. Either way, that’s how you take a Tesla Model S out of service. The emergency response guide attached in the PDF file below offers more detailed info on how to safely handle the Model S in an emergency situation.
You see, a crashed electric car, especially one with a large battery such as the Tesla Model S, poses a real hazard because batteries have this habit of leaking and combusting. Needless to say, that’s a serious problem for both the occupants and the emergency personnel on the scene. Most surprisingly, the brave men and women of the Abensberg fire department know how to prevent such a situation from occurring.
To shut down an EV after a crash and minimize the chances of a fire, the firefighters of Abensberg have been instructed to pay special attention to every little cable and component painted orange. First thing the firefighters did was look in the front trunk for a tag with the instruction to cut the orange loop next to it.
If the front trunk loop is inaccessible, firefighters should open the rear passenger door closest to the charge port to locate an orange label that indicates where to cut into the C-pillar with a 12-inch circular saw. Either way, that’s how you take a Tesla Model S out of service. The emergency response guide attached in the PDF file below offers more detailed info on how to safely handle the Model S in an emergency situation.