What the world’s safest electric car looks like on fire

This week, a Tesla Model S vehicle burst into flames on the side of the road in Kent, WA.

Yes, all cars are susceptible to fires, but even ones that received a 5-star safety rating overall and in every subcategory by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration?

Captured by a person driving by. (Image via YouTube)

So, the safest car in America was on fire in Washington and as a result, shares of Tesla Motors, Inc. fell more than six percent the next day, after a bystander’s YouTube video of the fire went viral.

Watch the bystander’s YouTube video of the $70,000 vehicle in flames.

Why did it happen?

The liquid-cooled 85-kWh battery in a Tesla Model S is located below the passenger seat and uses lithium-ion chemistry like the batteries found in your laptop. According to a representative from Tesla, a large metallic object hit one of the battery pack’s modules which prompted the fire.

According to the Washington Fire Department, the fire was under control at one point, but then reignited. Overall, it was contained to just the front end portion of the vehicle.

The fire department ripped up the front end of the car to put holes in the battery pack, at which time they poured water into the battery and the blaze was finally extinguished and fortunately, nobody was injured.