Tesla Semi EV Fire Shuts Down I-80 in California

Tesla's EV truck caught fire in an accident on I-80 in California's Sierra Nevada, which prompted a lengthy shutdown as authorities battled the intense heat and toxicity from the Tesla Semi's batteries.

The crash occurred around 3:15 a.m. near Emigrant Gap, where the electric big-rig, traveling without a trailer, crashed into the right shoulder of the road and into trees.

California Highway Patrol Officer Jason Lyman described the battle and difficulty with the fire as, "It's not like big flames but they are putting out super heat and fumes." A half-mile buffer zone was created to protect bystanders from toxic emissions.

Firefighters from the Cal Fire Nevada-Yuba-Placer unit battled the smoldering blaze for over 16 hours, using masks and breathing apparatus to combat the intense heat and fumes.

The Tesla Semi's massive battery pack is capable of storing roughly 900 kilovolt-hours of power – nearly 10 times the energy of a typical Tesla Model Y. This could have been a contributing reason for such a dire fight to put the flames out.

"It's a first for some of the emergency crews who responded," Lyman added, highlighting the unique nature of the incident.

Matthew Leffler expressed his views on X on the potential future when it comes to dealing with sitautions such as this one, posting:

This is part of the infrastructure challenge facing EVs. It's not just charging stations, but the training & tools to address thermo events. Estimates vary, but fire suppression for battery fires require orders of magnitude more water than ICE vehicles.

While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, the incident underscores the evolving landscape of commercial electric vehicle (EV) safety and the need for specialized training and equipment to handle such emergencies. Craig Fuller on X mentioned:

I-80 has since reopened after the long battle with the accident. As mentioned earlier the investigation is still underway for the cause of the accident and presumably, what can be done in the future to prevent such events and how to handle them.

Source: Yahoo | Craig Fuller\X | Matthew Leffler\X