Photo: Peter Gruber
You may probably recollect the Tesla Model S that caught fire while charging in Norway and was left to burn while the firefighters could only sit back and watch and make sure the fire didn't spread to any of the adjacent buildings.
That's the thing with lithium-ion batteries catching fire: they can't be put out using traditional means. Spraying water over them doesn't only present a risk of electrical shocks, but can also release toxic gasses into the atmosphere.
When one car is engulfed in flames outdoors things are rather simple: contain the fire and allow it to simmer down on itself. Indoors, however, things get more complicated since the chances of it spreading are much greater.
The firefighters at the Phoenix Fire Department found that out on their own when they received a call about a fire at Grueber Motors. The flames were apparently caused by an experimental procedure performed on the battery pack of a Tesla Roadster. All personnel was evacuated safely, AZ Central says, but there was still one high-profile casualty to be had.
One of the last two Tzero electric roadsters - and the last one in working order - was housed in the building at the time. The hand-built electric vehicles made by AC Propulsion are credited to have inspired Elon Musk to create Tesla Motors and build the Tesla Roadster.
In fact, AC Propulsion became the initial powertrain supplier for Tesla, before the company started producing its own electric motors. Unlike AC Propulsion, though, Musk chose to use an existing body design for the basis of his sports car, with the Lotus Elise being the donor.
The Tzero wasn't the only vehicle lost to the fire. There were reportedly (as pointed out in a TMC discussion) no fewer than six Tesla Roadsters, a Tesla Model S, a smart electric drive and an ACR Viper, acting as the elephant in the room. The total value of the destroyed vehicles is unknown, but it's clearly the complete carbonization of the Tzero that hurts the most.
When one car is engulfed in flames outdoors things are rather simple: contain the fire and allow it to simmer down on itself. Indoors, however, things get more complicated since the chances of it spreading are much greater.
The firefighters at the Phoenix Fire Department found that out on their own when they received a call about a fire at Grueber Motors. The flames were apparently caused by an experimental procedure performed on the battery pack of a Tesla Roadster. All personnel was evacuated safely, AZ Central says, but there was still one high-profile casualty to be had.
One of the last two Tzero electric roadsters - and the last one in working order - was housed in the building at the time. The hand-built electric vehicles made by AC Propulsion are credited to have inspired Elon Musk to create Tesla Motors and build the Tesla Roadster.
In fact, AC Propulsion became the initial powertrain supplier for Tesla, before the company started producing its own electric motors. Unlike AC Propulsion, though, Musk chose to use an existing body design for the basis of his sports car, with the Lotus Elise being the donor.
The Tzero wasn't the only vehicle lost to the fire. There were reportedly (as pointed out in a TMC discussion) no fewer than six Tesla Roadsters, a Tesla Model S, a smart electric drive and an ACR Viper, acting as the elephant in the room. The total value of the destroyed vehicles is unknown, but it's clearly the complete carbonization of the Tzero that hurts the most.
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