An electric Tesla Semi tractor caught fire on a highway in Hayward, California. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The incident was reported by ABC7 Bay Area. The driver was not injured. According to the highway patrol, the fire engulfed the lithium-ion traction battery. The driver told police that the truck suddenly caught fire but could not explain the cause of the incident.
Authorities closed traffic in both directions due to potentially hazardous smoke, and firefighters warned that extinguishing the fire could take 15 to 18 hours. Such fires are difficult to extinguish due to the characteristics of the batteries and the risk of re-ignition.
Photos published show rescuers pouring water and foam on the cab of the tractor with a cargo trailer.
In August 2024, the same electric tractor was involved in an accident on a highway in California. The truck went off the road and caught fire. At that time, firefighters used about 190,000 liters of water to extinguish and cool the battery, and traffic was restricted for 15 hours. The investigation was handled by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
However, this time, according to preliminary data, there was no collision before the fire.
When a traction battery ignites, a large amount of water is required to cool the battery pack. Even after extinguishing, the risk of re-ignition remains. Tesla's emergency response guide recommends monitoring the battery temperature for at least 24 hours and rechecking its condition before transportation.
The incident occurred shortly after Tesla began mass production of the Semi at its plant in Nevada. The company unveiled the electric tractor in 2017 and delivered the first production units to PepsiCo in December 2022. The vehicle is intended to become an alternative to diesel trucks.
Earlier, Kursiv Auto reported that a Tesla Semi was involved in a fatal accident for the first time.