Tesla Model 3 crash sends scorching batteries flying, starts housefire - Business Insider - Business Insider

A Tesla Model 3 crashed on Tuesday in Corvallis, Oregon, flinging hot battery cells far from the crash site.
Two of the cells broke through nearby windows — one landed in someone's lap, while the other landed on a bed, catching the bedding on fire.
According to the City of Corvallis Police Department, the driver was speeding in excess of 100 mph and sustained only minor injuries.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Tesla has caught heat in the past for its battery packs bursting into flames, but a recent incident in Corvallis, Oregon shows that the electric vehicles may pose a fire hazard not just to the cars themselves, but to the surrounding environment, too.

In a severe Tuesday night crash spotted by The Drive, a speeding Model 3 collided with a power pole, shearing the pole at its base and hurling bits of the car far from the crash site, according to a statement from the City of Corvallis Police Department. The Model 3 was obliterated and its battery pack was destroyed, flinging burning-hot battery cells around the neighborhood.

Battery cells broke through windows into two different homes — one landed on a person's lap, while the other came to rest in a second-floor bedroom, catching bedsheets on fire, the Corvallis Police Department said in the statement.

tesla model 3 battery cell — The crash launched hundreds of hot battery cells around the scene.

"A tire was ripped from the car during the collision and struck the second story siding of a nearby apartment complex with such force that it ruptured the water pipes within the wall, destroying the bathroom to the apartment and flooding the downstairs portion of the apartment as well," the statement continued.

Police said that the driver was traveling in excess of 100 mph when he lost control of the vehicle, plowing into the power pole, two trees, and a junction box. The driver fled the scene on foot and was transported to the hospital with minor injuries, miraculously. Police charged him with a DUI, Hit and Run, Criminal Mischief, Reckless Driving, and Reckless Endangering.

Members of the Corvallis Police Department and Fire Department attempted to collect as many of the battery cells as they could, spending roughly three hours cleaning up the scene, but the police department put out a notice telling residents of the area to be on the lookout for the "potentially hazardous batteries." According to police, the cells can stay hot for up to 24 hours and can emit toxic fumes and chemicals.

Tesla battery cells — Local police warned residents of the area to watch out for battery cells they may have left behind.

Batteries overheating is always a potential problem when it comes to EVs, and when the cells leave their protective pack and cooling system, that's even more likely to occur.

Studies have shown that EVs are no more likely to catch fire than combustion-engine cars and that they may actually be statistically safer. The driver sustaining only minor injuries may also be a testament to the Model 3's passenger safety, but the fact that EVs can, in some cases, spew burning batteries into the surrounding environment and through windows may not be a good sign for those outside the car.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.