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Man In Tesla Model S Fire Explains What Happened

Posted by samzenpus on from the burn-it-up dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The three recent Tesla fires have raised concerns with a lot of people. One person who isn't concerned, however, is Juris Shibayama, the man whose model S burned in Tennessee. He says: 'I would buy another one in a heartbeat.' From the article: 'Shibayama said that he struck a three-pronged trailer hitch in the middle lane of the interstate. He continued: "About 30-45 seconds later, there was a warning on the dashboard display saying, 'Car needs service. Car may not restart.' I continued to drive, hoping to get home. About one minute later, the message on the dashboard display read, 'Please pull over safely. Car is shutting down.'" He said he had time to remove his possessions, even though, he said: "About 5-10 seconds after getting out of the car, smoke started to come from the front underbody of the car."'"

17 of 526 comments (clear)

  1. They should upgrade the warning ... by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... to include "Car is about to burst into flame"

    --
    Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
    1. Re:They should upgrade the warning ... by Mateorabi · · Score: 5, Funny

      They should sample the "You have five minutes to reach minimum safe distance" ship's computer sound clip from Alien.

      --
      "You saved 1968." - Ms. Valerie Pringle to the crew of Apollo 8

    2. Re:They should upgrade the warning ... by msauve · · Score: 5, Funny

      "A door is a jar," "The car is a flame," it's the same, only different.

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    3. Re:They should upgrade the warning ... by feral-troll · · Score: 4, Funny

      They should sample the "You have five minutes to reach minimum safe distance" ship's computer sound clip from Alien.

      It would be more funny if you used this unique trait of the Tesla to scare other drivers. How about this? ... there was an interview in one of those car shows on Discovery Channel with a Ford owner who wrote: "Don't tailgate me, I explode on impact!" in large letters on the rear window of her Pinto.

    4. Re:They should upgrade the warning ... by TapeCutter · · Score: 3, Funny

      Indeed. My Datsun caught fire on the freeway in the 80's, I didn't hit anything, the car was crap (a beat up Datsun 180). It was an oil fire, thick black smoke poured through the gear stick housing and quickly filled the car. Luckily I had just enough time to pull up on the embankment before entering a long bridge on a freeway junction. It would have been a far more dangerous situation if it happened on the bridge. The fire itself was easy to put out with a rag and the emergency radiator water from the boot.

      All that, and not one fucking word from the Datsun during the whole ordeal. ;)

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    5. Re:They should upgrade the warning ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      The Tesla needs a "Eject Core" for the battery so that the car can be saved. And yes... minimum safe distance.

      Unfortunately from the pictures I'm seeing, the battery is literately the entire underside of the car and is unlikely to be ejectable since ti would just drag the battery along the road.

  2. Well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    At least it didn't bluescreen and lock him in the car.

  3. Service with a Smile by StephenThomasKrausJr · · Score: 5, Funny

    At least the car was upbeat and friendly about its impending doom!

  4. is this a dupe article? by SeaFox · · Score: 4, Funny

    Or is he going to buy a third Tesla after his first two caught fire?

    1. Re:is this a dupe article? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      I don't have to massage a pubic?

  5. Re:Concert by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 3, Funny

    He was very nearly bagpiped though.

  6. lp0 on fire by toygeek · · Score: 3, Funny

    ^ If ever a missed opportunity for an error message....

    --
    Nobodies Prefect
    Tidbits for Techs Technology Blog
  7. But the final warning! by gargleblast · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can't believe they missed such a golden opportunity. The final warning should have been "Car will now Halt and Catch Fire".

    1. Re:But the final warning! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think the problem is that they couldn't guarantee the fire. It would look pretty bad if the car claimed to catch fire and just halted.

  8. Re:"three-pronged trailer hitch"? by 50000BTU_barbecue · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think it's one of these: http://koti.mbnet.fi/poiuyt/drawinz/poiuyt.jpg

    --
    Mostly random stuff.
  9. Re:"three-pronged trailer hitch"? by ArbitraryName · · Score: 4, Funny

    They're three different size balls (that's what she said). You rotate it so the size you need is facing up.

  10. The options list should have been a giveaway by Snufu · · Score: 3, Funny

    -- Power windows
    -- Power locks
    -- Power seats
    -- Air-conditioning
    -- Automatic transmission
    -- iPod dock
    -- Quadrophonic smoke detectors
    -- Asbestos seats
    -- Sprinklers (interior/exterior)
    -- Fire axe