The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the Tesla California crash and fire incident
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the United States has launched an investigation into the crash and fire incident involving a Tesla electric Semi truck in California. The NTSB will collaborate with the California Highway Patrol to conduct a safety investigation. The accident occurred on Monday night, causing the highway to be closed for over half a day due to an engine fire, with no casualties reported. The Tesla Semi truck is equipped with large batteries, raising concerns about the risk of fire
According to the Wise Finance APP, the National Transportation Safety Board of the United States stated on Wednesday evening that it has launched an investigation into an accident and fire involving a Tesla (TSLA.US) electric Semi truck on a California highway. The board posted on the social media platform X that it will conduct a safety investigation together with the California Highway Patrol.
Both the electric car manufacturer and the California Highway Patrol did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
Late Monday night, a Tesla electric Semi truck had an accident near Emigrant Cap in Northern California, with the engine catching fire, resulting in a highway closure for over half a day with no casualties reported.
Tesla produces Semi trucks at a factory near Reno, Nevada, and uses Class 8 vehicles to transport parts to the car factory in the San Francisco Bay Area. Despite the Semi's debut in November 2017, it remains in the "trial production" phase nearly 7 years later.
Statistically, electric vehicle fires are rarer than internal combustion engine vehicle fires, but when they occur, the danger of lithium-ion battery fires is particularly severe, requiring considerable time and effort to safely extinguish. Automotive experts note that the flames from electric vehicle fires are different from those of internal combustion engine vehicles, often lasting longer and having a tendency to reignite.
It is reported that the Tesla Semi truck is equipped with particularly large batteries for long-distance transport. Official figures have not been released, but based on energy consumption data, the battery capacity of the 500-mile version of the Semi is estimated to be around 850-900 kilowatt-hours (kWh). Generally, a regular electric car or crossover vehicle is typically equipped with a 75-85 kWh battery, while the battery capacity of electric pickup trucks ranges from 123 kWh to 205 kWh. Therefore, a 900 kWh battery is exceptionally large in comparison