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Tesla Model S Gets Titanium Underbody Shield, Aluminum Deflector Plates

Posted by Soulskill on from the responding-to-a-challenge dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Tesla Motors made headlines several times last year for a few Model S car fires. Elon Musk criticized all the attention at the time, pointing out that it was disproportionate to the 200,000 fires in gas-powered cars over the same period. Musk didn't stop there, though. He's announced that the Model S will now have a titanium underbody shield along with an aluminum bar and extrusion. He says this will prevent debris struck on the road from breaching the battery area. Musk offered this amusing example: 'We believe these changes will also help prevent a fire resulting from an extremely high speed impact that tears the wheels off the car, like the other Model S impact fire, which occurred last year in Mexico. This happened after the vehicle impacted a roundabout at 110 mph, shearing off 15 feet of concrete curbwall and tearing off the left front wheel, then smashing through an eight foot tall buttressed concrete wall on the other side of the road and tearing off the right front wheel, before crashing into a tree. The driver stepped out and walked away with no permanent injuries and a fire, again limited to the front section of the vehicle, started several minutes later. The underbody shields will help prevent a fire even in such a scenario.' Included with the article are several animated pictures of testing done with the new underbody, which survives running over a trailer hitch, a concrete block, and an alternator."

7 of 314 comments (clear)

  1. Sounds like by Chrisq · · Score: 5, Funny

    This happened after the vehicle impacted a roundabout at 110 mph, shearing off 15 feet of concrete curbwall and tearing off the left front wheel, then smashing through an eight foot tall buttressed concrete wall on the other side of the road and tearing off the right front wheel, before crashing into a tree. The driver stepped out and walked away with no permanent injuries

    Sounds like a scene from "the A team", where I would have been saying "that's so unrealistic"!

    1. Re:Sounds like by NatasRevol · · Score: 5, Funny

      But seriously makes me want to buy one.

      "Guess what my car can do? Here, hold my beer..."
      Two minutes later, walk back and finish beer. "It didn't even get warm!"

      --
      There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
    2. Re:Sounds like by SuricouRaven · · Score: 5, Funny

      In the battery compartment.

    3. Re:Sounds like by gnick · · Score: 5, Funny

      You're driving 110mph in a titanium shielded metal box full of batteries. You ARE the ammunition.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
  2. Re:Titanium? by operagost · · Score: 5, Funny

    Golf carts have batteries.

    Teslas have batteries.

    Coincidence?

    --

    Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
  3. Re:Human guided missile? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    We'll never see a Tesla in an action movie at this rate. They'll be too safe and lack the big fireball explosions.

  4. Re:Human guided missile? by 50000BTU_barbecue · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yeah but that means the Tesla Industries Two Thousand would be called Titt.

    --
    Mostly random stuff.