Tesla EV Truck Catches Fire, Forced Roads To Close For Hours
How will this affect insurance premiums for electric trucks because of this?
On 19 August 2024, the California Highway Patrol had announced that Interstate 80 would be reopened in both directions following an electric Tesla semi truck seemingly catching fire forcing the road to be closed to put out the massive blaze. The fire that led to the closure remains under investigation, with its cause still unknown.
The latest incident involving electric vehicles (EVs) has once again forced scrutiny over their safety. Following recent concerns over electric cars in South Korea, a Tesla Semi truck caught fire in California early this morning, leading to a significant disruption on Interstate 80 in the eastern part of the state.
Moreover, local news reports indicate that the fire began around 3:16a.m. near the Emigrant Gap area in Placer County, part of the Sacramento metropolitan region. Since then, the highway has been closed, with traffic diverted to alternative routes. According to KCRA, fire crews have been working for hours to control the blaze, with water being continuously poured onto the remnants of the truck.
The California Highway Patrol has not provided an estimated time for when the highway would reopen, and a CHP official directed media inquiries to another office, which has not yet responded. The CHP spokesperson at the scene informed KCRA that the air quality around the fire is hazardous due to the fumes from the burning truck.
As a result, crews are allowing the fire to burn out while they manage it with water. Neither Tesla nor CEO Elon Musk has commented on the incident via X (formerly Twitter), which has become the company’s preferred communication channel. While EV fires are statistically less common than those involving internal combustion vehicles, lithium-ion battery fires are particularly challenging to extinguish.
On top of that, the Tesla Semi, designed for long-haul trucking, features a substantial battery capacity, estimated at 850 to 900 kWh for the 500-mile version, though Tesla has not confirmed the exact figure. So with climate change leaning to the hotter side, will this cause hesitation among truck operators when it comes to using electric trucks?
The Tesla Semi has been in testing across the country and is currently being used by a few corporate fleets, including PepsiCo. Clearly, this is going to be the catalyst for insurance premiums for electric trucks to go up regardless of what investigations find.
We got all this from Inside EVs and their full article is linked here. Thank you Inside EVs for the information and images
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