Elon Musk gave more detail in a blog post yesterday about the fire that became an Internet sensation and unsettled Tesla investors. He also defended the car's battery technology.
Musk wrote in a blog post yesterday that fires are more common in conventional gas-powered vehicles.
"For consumers concerned about fire risk, there should be absolutely zero doubt that it is safer to power a car with a battery than a large tank of highly flammable liquid," Musk wrote.
The company said the car properly contained the blaze. The driver was able to exit the highway in the Seattle suburb of Kent before flames engulfed the front of the vehicle.
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Of the estimated 194,000 vehicle fires in the US each year, the vast majority are in cars and trucks with gasoline or diesel engines. Electric vehicles make up less than 1 percent of the cars sold in the US.
After dismantling the front end of the vehicle and puncturing holes in the battery pack, responders used a circular saw to cut an access hole in the front section to apply water to the battery, according to documents. Only then was the fire extinguished.
Tesla shares fell sharply Wednesday and Thursday after a video of the car fire circulated on the Internet. The shares recovered somewhat yesterday, rising USD 7.67, or 4.4 per cent, to USD 180.98. They still finished the week with a loss of USD 9.92, or 5.2 per cent. The shares are still up more about 400 per cent.