Pennsylvania, United States — A driver in Pennsylvania, U.S. had to escape his Tesla Model S Plaid EV as it caught on fire while he was on the road.
The luxury vehicle, which costs US$129,900, was delivered to the driver just three days before it burst into flames, and according to the driver’s attorney, Geragos & Geragos, the driver had a difficult time getting out of the vehicle while it was on fire. Attorney Mark Geragos, said that the driver had to “use force to push it open,” as the electronic door system failed.
Once the driver ended up escaping the vehicle, the Tesla drove for another 35 to 40 feet before turning into what is described by onlookers as a “fireball.”
“It was a harrowing and horrifying experience,” Geragos said. “This is a brand-new model…We are doing an investigation. We are calling for the S Plaid to be grounded, not to be on the road until we get to the bottom of this.”
Elon Musk had said that the Tesla Model S was “faster than any Porsche, safer than any Volvo” during the launch event in June. He had also said that the new model came with a new battery pack and that there were more challenges when developing the newer version.
NHTSA says that there is an investigation happening to see if they need to take the Model S off the road.
“If data or investigations show a defect or an inherent risk to safety exists, NHTSA will take action as appropriate to protect the public,” the federal safety agency said.
