All electric cars provide different accident results than the standard gasoline powered engine car. For example the Tesla model S, which is one of the best electric cars available on the market and also the most expensive has had three fires in the last several months. As with all statistics you really need to delve into the details to find out more about the problem. In this case it is not a chronic problem, rather it is a design issue that has already been updated to make the car even more safe than it already is.
Battery fire in Tesla Model S – What Started it
All the fires involve the battery pack. Which is slung low on the body of the car to provide increased stability in rollover situations. In fact it is extremely difficult for the Tesla model S to rollover. Even at extreme speeds due to the position of the battery pack. It also makes the battery pack more exposed to damage from road debris.
All of the fires involving the battery pack have been caused by the battery pack housing being punctured. Usually by road debris that could not be avoided by the driver and a fire starting as a result. In all accidents the occupants have been able to walk away from the accident or fire in this case since it really was not an accident.
In this last accident, the car drove over a metal object. A tow hitch which was on the road and could not be avoided. The tow hitch punctured the undercarriage and specifically the battery pack which caused it to short out and start a fire.
Battery fire in Tesla Model S – Safe Car to Drive
Based on testing the Tesla model S is the safest car on the road for drivers. There are over 19,000 T model S cars on the road worldwide at the time of writing this post. The Tesla model S has earned the highest score possible in crash tests ever recorded by any vehicle. That is a pretty big endorsement for a relatively new car on the market. Improvements to protection of the battery pack will improve the safety of this car even more than what it already is.