Tesla Model X Rolls Itself Down Boat Ramp, Catches Fire

Video out of Hollywood, Florida showed a boat launch that turned into what some commenters are calling a Viking funeral for a Tesla Model X.

The incident happened at the Polk Street Boat Ramp in Hollywood, Florida on October 1st, and the driver had just backed a pair of jet skis into the water.

In the recounting from the Hollywood Professional Firefighters’ Facebook page, the driver received a warning to get out of the car, but the power doors wouldn't allow her to get out. Luckily, her husband was able to get her out before the car submersed and catch fire.

Salt water and electric cars don't mix. The water causes lithium-ion batteries to combust, and the minerals left behind after the battery packs dry out can cause fires up to weeks after the submersion.

The Hollywood Fire Department handled this particular car like Dwyer would - just let it tire itself out and call it good.

"The fire was allowed to burn underwater until it extinguished itself. And even then, it had to be loaded carefully onto a special carrier, and followed by the Fire Engine to the impound lot, where they’ll keep the vehicle isolated for a few days in the very real possibility of re-ignition," the department wrote. "EVs have been known to reignite even after the initial fire has been extinguished."

Despite the years on the road, fire departments are still not totally sure how to handle electric vehicle fires. The typical fire plan is to deprive the fire of oxygen, but lithium-ion batteries will burn with no oxygen.

Read more at Jalopnik

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