Tesla "Model S" Battery Fire Kills Teenagers

Figure 1 Tesla Model S floor pan viewed from the rear. The two metal cans between the rear wheels are the electric motor (left) and the controller/inverter (right). Photograph from Wikimedia/Oleg Alexandrov

Guest essay by Eric Worrall

Two teenagers died in Fort Lauderdale after being trapped in a Tesla car which burst into flames after a crash.

Federal agency will investigate Tesla crash that killed two young students

By Linda Trischitta, David Lyons, Tonya Alanez, Wayne K. Roustan

Two young men, “as close as brothers,” were supposed to be attending college in the fall. Instead, their families and classmates are mourning them after a fiery crash of an electric car on a curvy road on Fort Lauderdale beach.

Driver Barrett Riley, of Fort Lauderdale, and front-seat passenger Edgar Monserratt Martinez, of Aventura, both 18 and students at Pine Crest School, were trapped in the burning wreck and died in Tuesday’s crash, police and fire officials said. Another passenger, also 18, was taken to a hospital.

The trio was traveling in a Tesla Model S sedan along Seabreeze Boulevard before it crashed into a concrete wall, police said.

The Tesla does not use a gasoline-powered engine and is powered by a battery. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday to investigate, to “primarily focus on the emergency response in relation to the electric vehicle battery fire, including fire department activities and towing operations.”

The NTSB said it has a history of investigating emerging technologies to understand their effect on transportation accidents.

Back-seat passenger Alexander Berry, of Fort Lauderdale, was ejected from the car. Firefighters took him to Broward Health Medical Center, where he was in fair condition Wednesday, the hospital said.

The chemicals inside battery cells can be corrosive and flammable, said Karl Brauer, executive publisher for Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book. “Electric vehicles are not more prone to fire, but batteries can burn hotter fires that are harder to extinguish,” he said. “Once there is a fire and you melt the battery pack, chemicals come out and when those chemicals come out, the fire can start, even without a spark.”

Read more: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fort-lauderdale/fl-sb-engulfed-flames-car-crash-20180508-story.html

The cause of the crash appears to have been irresponsible driving, but given the kid who was thrown from the car survived, it seems likely the kids who burned to death would also have survived if the batteries hadn’t caught fire. Gasoline cars can also catch fire when they crash, but the suggestion that battery fires burn hotter and are harder to extinguish than gasoline fires is a concern.

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Peta of Newark
May 10, 2018 8:35 am

Teenage Boys Killed In Car Crash

Well, that is unprecedented.
What were they doing in a car like that?
Where were/are the parents/teachers/guardians.
Arguably, one of the hazards of being rich.
Intelligent & educated not so much
Meanwhile, do you laugh or cry….

Cruise control is a great convenience feature except when it catches fire. That’s exactly what could have happened to 15 million Fords

Cracked engine mounts meant 6.7 million cars and trucks could have accelerated uncontrollably, so GM had to install a “restraining device” to keep the motor in position.

In 1996 Ford had to replace ignition switches in nearly eight million cars because of a potential short circuit causing a fire in the steering column.

GM announced that it was inspecting 5.8 million cars due to suspension issues in the late 1970s – the vital control arm that connected the back axle to the suspension could break free and cause the driver to lose control

in 1972 Ford found a fault with its seat belts. The buckle proved troublesome for the Blue Oval, potentially detaching in a crash and making the belt redundant

Toyota has had its fair share of recalls recently, but the worst came in 2009 when it had to contact 4.4 million owners about “unintended acceleration” problems. The floor mats on some models could cause the accelerator pedal to stick down. It cost the auto giant £747 million in settlement claims

a recall from the 70s – GM said that small stones could get lodged in some of its car’s steering systems, making it difficult to turn the wheels.

VW had to recall 3.7 million cars made over the previous 20 years because of one small screw. It could have worked loose and caused the windscreen wipers to fail.

Honda may have had to recall a similar number of cars to VW back in 1995, but it was for a different and entirely more sobering reason – Honda’s seat belt supplier found a design flaw, meaning the latching buckle could crack and fail.

General Motors was forced to recall 3.6 million trucks due to a problem with the mechanism for the tailgate. The cords holding the flap shut could snap, potentially injuring anyone who might have been standing or sitting on the fold-down boot door.

Ford takes the top spot for the worst car recall ever by a grand margin. At the start of the 1980s it had to rush through a fix on its automatic models built over the previous decade, as a defect meant the gear selector could slip from park into reverse without warning

didn’t affect the UK, but is perhaps the most famous case in the world. It surrounds the Ford Pinto of the 1970s and the placement of the fuel tank. By positioning it behind the rear axle and with a fuel-filler pipe that would explode in a rear-end collision, the consequences were horrific

in 2001, Vauxhall recalled half a million Tigra and Corsa models after discovering weak seat rails could result in the front seats becoming loose in an accident

In 2010, Ferrari issued a recall for the 458 Italia following a series of fires. The Italian manufacturer traced the problem to materials used in the construction of the wheel arch lining and heat shield and called owners back for remedial work. Later, in 2014, the 458 Italia and Spider were involved in a second recall amid fears someone could get stuck in the boot of the car

Honda’s unflinching reliability reputation took a knock in 2010 – 170,000 Honda Jazz cars in the UK were recalled over potential electrical faults.

In September 2014, certain Smart Fortwo models were recalled after it was discovered a short circuit in the electronic heater shut-off valve could result in a fire.

small issue could have disastrous consequences, which is why Mercedes-Benz recalled 8,675 M-Class 4x4s in 2012 after someone discovered the floor mats could trap the accelerator pedal

In 2013,
Kia called in 25,000 cars in the UK for the replacement of a faulty brake light switch. The recall affected numerous models built between 2006 and 2011 and was part of a global recall involving 1.6 million Kia and Hyundai models.

In 2013, nearly 3 million VW owners were contacted over concerns surrounding gearboxes and light fuses. The recall which extended to other brands within the Volkswagen Group affected 60,000 cars in the UK

Vauxhall advised owners of Corsa, Corsavan and Adam models registered since February 2014 that their cars should not be driven prior to inspection. According to Vauxhall, certain cars were built using a steering system part “that does not meet Vauxhall’s specification”

incendiary risks are a common recall problem, with an incorrectly-fitted battery cable cover causing 109,000 BMW 5 and 6 Series models in the UK to receive attention. The recall affected 1.3 million cars across the world

In 2012, 235,000 MINI models needed rectifying because of a potential fire risk caused by defective electric water pumps.

earlier this year, Mazda had to recall 42,000 Mazda 6s because of the Yellow Sac spider. Apparently the spider has a love of petrol (don’t we all) and became rather keen on weaving webs inside the Mazda engine. This would result in blockages and, in turn, increase the risk of a fire.

Porsche issued a recall for 2011-2012 Cayenne models amid fears “the headlamp may come loose” and detach from the bumper

earlier this year Honda was forced to bring 1.8 million cars built between 2001 and 2003 back to its dealerships. Once again, it was the airbag issue affecting a number of carmakers, with Honda saying small amounts of metal fragments could hit the windscreen or footwell as a result of an inflated airbag.

May 2013, Nissan was forced to issue repair work on 841,000 vehicles worldwide due to a faulty steering wheel. The problem affected nearly 134,000 Nissan Micras in the UK and came on the back of 500,000 vehicles recalled because of faulty airbags

Proving you don’t need to be active to be affected by a recall, General Motors recalled nearly 29,000 Saab 9-3 Convertibles in the US to replace a driver’s side seatbelt retractor. So far, the issue hasn’t affected cars in the UK

In July, BMW announced it would fix 1.6 million 3 Series cars built between 2000 and 2006 in order to address an airbag problem that affected many carmaker

in April 2014 Toyota was forced to recall more than 6.5 million motors to fix problems including faulty steering wheels and seats.

a terrible year for General Motors, with millions upon millions of cars recalled across the world. In total, more than 20 million vehicles have been affected in 2014 alone, with a faulty ignition switch the chief headache

If it can happen to a mass-production carmaker, it can happen to a luxury brand, too. Earlier this year, Aston Martin recalled 17,590 cars due to a potential problem with the accelerator pedal.

A total of 8,145 new Mercedes-Benz C-Classes have been recalled in the UK, of which 5,500 have already been delivered to customers. The issue – which affects cars built between January and September 2014 – surrounds a faulty steering system

Earlier
this month, Toyota announced it would be recalling 1.67 million cars amid concerns over faulty brake installations and fuel component issues. Sister company Lexus announced it’s recalling 759,000 cars across the world after discovering a fault with the fuel pipes

Another recall involving VW: the firm carried out remedial work on thousands of e-Golfs in the US after it emerged that their electric motors could switch off during use

VW Group recalled around 800,000 of its Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche
Cayenne models worldwide over a brake issue

In 2016, Toyota announced it would recall 2.87m cars worldwide over a fault with a seatbelt that could fail in the event of a crash

In 2015, Suzuki recalled its Celerio after just a day on sale, when a journalist for Autocar magazine experienced complete brake failure while attempting an emergency stop during tests

Peta of Newark
Reply to  Peta of Newark
May 10, 2018 8:56 am

So, has Elon got a problem…….. that wouldn’t be fixed by the judicious use of something like asbestos?
Get my point?
Please try not to be like Warmists and become paranoid – try to escape the Magical Thought Bubble.
There is a Big Old World out there, don’t let it pass you by.

s-t
Reply to  Peta of Newark
May 10, 2018 5:32 pm

“The floor mats on some models could cause the accelerator pedal to stick down”
It was almost certainly a software issue, the car maker probably invented a faulty mechanical issue to limit criticism.

Reply to  s-t
May 10, 2018 10:55 pm

Nope. Happened to me, long before the warning came out. I took my foot off the gas and the car didn’t slow as expected. I realized the mat was partly between my heal and the pedal, reached down, grabbed the mat, and tossed to the back seat. No harm done. Blamed myself for not making sure the mat was staying in its proper position.
The mat had a couple of little eyelets that fit over nubs on the floor to keep it in place. Over time, the mat curled up at the edges, lifting the eyelets over the nubs. Then it was free to slide.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Nate
May 10, 2018 8:36 am

Tesla’s first lesson in automobile manufacturing – People hire lawyers who always go after the bigger wallet, not the true reason or persons at fault…always.

ResourceGuy
May 10, 2018 8:59 am

Did anyone question the self driving car in the incident report?

daveburton
May 10, 2018 9:29 am

I’m surprised that Teslas have higher accident rates than most other cars.
https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/aaa-will-raise-tesla-insurance-rates-30-percent-basically-because-wealthy-driver.html
I would have expected the $70K pricetag of a Model S to prevent most accidents caused by carloads of teenagers doing the stupid things that teenagers do. In olden days most teens drove beaters.

Andy in the Patch
May 10, 2018 9:36 am

The sooner Tesla becomes insolvent the better.

ResourceGuy
May 10, 2018 10:48 am

I can’t wait for the Uber flying cars.

Bill Murphy
May 10, 2018 11:02 am

Seems to me that the Tesla is becoming the heir apparent to the pyromaniac Ford Crown Victoria of 15-20 years ago. That model had the nasty habit of burning spectacularly when rear ended in what otherwise might have been a minor incident. The Crown Vic was heavily marketed to police departments and over a dozen officers were killed and many more burned badly in what should have been survivable accidents. The grim joke of the day was that the Vic was not a police interceptor, it was a police incinerator. Obviously the civilian version had more than its share of tragedy as well. In one incident I am personally familiar with, a Phoenix PD Crown Vic and a Phoenix City fire engine by pure chance happened to be waiting at a stop light side by side when the police car was rear ended and burst into flame. A quick thinking fireman grabbed a CO2 extinguisher and knocked down the flames enough for the officer to escape the vehicle unharmed.
I’m no fan of Tesla or Musk, but they are attempting to push the limits of a new transportation technology, and that is never painless.

Gums
Reply to  Bill Murphy
May 10, 2018 2:21 pm

I know it’s off topic, but seeing Elon’s pre-launch address for today’s launch, I couldn’t help but think he should let the rocket team do the car!!
I hope this latest mod for the Falcon goes well, as it is the baseline for the future of sustained and frequent launches for the U.S. and other countries.
Countdown close, so “Out”
Gums sends…

Michael Keal
May 10, 2018 2:34 pm

In a petrol/gasoline tank some of the energy is contained in the fuel and some of it in the air. Put the two together and it explodes. On a good day this happens in the engine.
In a battery or for that matter a super capacitor all the energy is in one place in close proximity, usually very close.
Murphy will always find a way. If it can go wrong it will.
I’m more than happy for those who consider themselves green to use lithium-based energy for their transport for the farce (of global warming) is strong in them.
It’s potentially self-solving problem.
As for me, I’m sticking with petrol/gasoline because as I drive I’m fertilising the plants which is good for the planet.

May 10, 2018 3:55 pm

So will Teslas be joining propane powered vehicles in being banned from underground parking garages? I shudder to imagine the havoc that would be created if one caught fire in an underground lot. How would the FD deal with it, and would the building have to be evacuated until the fire was out (a day or so) and the resulting toxic fumes vented?

s-t
May 10, 2018 6:32 pm

I’m surprised nobody mentioned the Dreamliner and the patience of the US regulator for issues regarding Boeing…

May 10, 2018 7:57 pm

My 2¢ as a volunteer fireman on a small rural department; I’m very glad for the discussions, which contain far more information and analysis than the original articles. Very little is ‘off topic’ as it is a big important wide ranging discussion touching many issues. I dread the day we have to deal with something like this, as I dread the day we have a semi-trailer of cyanide compound pellets catch fire. If someone sprays water on that it would release cyanide gas and kill anyone downwind. Or a hybrid vehicle with a 600 volt battery and not being sure where to cut to extract a victim. With my limited experience (and only involving internal combustion vehicles), I’ll make a few points. It’s almost always better to have your seat belt on and be restrained within the vehicle in a collision. Being ejected, or half ejected and having the vehicle roll on you never ends well. In several cases a person had their arm trapped between the roof of the upside-down vehicle and the ground of the ditch. Wearing their seat belt kept the rest of them inside and none of them suffered a serious injury to the arm, although they were very excited until we got them untrapped. High energy frontal collisions result in death, seat belt or no. I don’t mean two cars or a car vs a pickup having a head-on collision at highway speeds, I mean a small vehicle hitting a bus, where everyone in the full car dies and no one on the bus suffers a serious injury, or a car hitting a culvert. I’m not talking statistics, just personal experience here. I’ve been to many vehicle collisions and many vehicle fires but I can’t remember any overlap as a fireman, although there was such a case involving some classmates in high school and another involving a relative. The fires have involved vehicles parked, parked and running or driving down the road, always from either an electrical short or friction. Given all the hazards in a burning vehicle such as exploding struts, shocks, axles, airbags, tires and extreme heat and toxic smokes, fuel explosions have never been a major worry. A fuel spill waiting for a spark is always a concern, but we’ve been fortunate. I was not at the incident, but we did have a fuel tanker overturn when misjudging an approach to a gas station once. Having a leak in your boots was not a good idea that day.

May 11, 2018 7:13 am

This not very informative as to what was burning. Is it hydrogen? Plus plastic battery cases for fuel? Can design changes fix it? Perhaps an emergency “lever” to open windows or some other exit? Or a system to quench the fire?

Indiana Sue
May 14, 2018 6:26 pm

If anyone is seriously interested in pursuing further info/training on lithium batteries, please consider attending the Power Sources Conference next month in Denver. See detailed agenda at:
https://www.scomminc.com/pcm/powersources_review/sessionList.cfm
Main page at http://powersourcesconference.com/

RG
May 16, 2018 8:04 pm

Tesla – beautiful dual purpose car, you can drive it for while and when you become bored you can cremate yourself without any problem.