My reaction to the Tesla Model S fire
For those who don't follow such things, last week a Tesla Model S ran over a piece of metal debris in the road and caught fire. The incident made national news, Tesla's stock dropped heavily for two days, and multiple folks emailed me with questions, the more extreme of which ran along the lines of,
"OMG! Aren't you sorry now you bought this over-priced flammable death machine?"
In a word, no. I am not sorry I bought the car. It's still the best car I've ever owned, and it's still the safest car around.
For Tesla's take on the fire--and a pretty good set of supporting facts--check out this blog entry on its site.
To go a bit deeper, did I ever think a Tesla was immune to fire? No. It has batteries, so fire is possible.
Did I expect one now? No. No one expects the Spanish Inquisition--or a car fire.
What do I think of the way Tesla handled the incident? I quite approve. They gathered data, they wrote the above sensible post, and they seem to be treating the owner well.
Will I now fear a car fire more than before? No. It was possible but highly unlikely before, and it is possible but highly unlikely now.
I remain quite happy with the car.
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6 comments:
Dear Mark,
My bikes run on gasoline. Who in his right mind is more concerned about a vehicle's battery fire than a petroleum fire?
Yes, it was bad when 787 batteries caught fire. It was much worse when the transatlantic airliner--was it flight 800?--exploded over the North Atlantic.
I'd buy a Ferrari before I'd get a Tesla (and I'm not in the market for one of them either), but a Tesla certainly isn't a safety concern.
Hmm. I started out by saying I ride bikes, didn't I?
Now, to see if I can post this.
Dave
You succeeded in posting it!
I prefer the Tesla to the Ferrari, but then again, as you said, you ride motorcycles.
Do you call your Tesla "Death Trap" now? :)
No, she has the same name I've given every car I've ever owned.
And that would be?
Telling.
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