US official: Tesla battery reignites twice after fatal crash

The battery of a Tesla Model S reignited twice after a serious crash in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that killed two teenagers and injured one, according to a report released by federal investigators on Tuesday. This is another example of a Tesla vehicle's battery catching fire hours or days after a fatal crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in its two-page preliminary report that the Model S hit a wall surrounding a residence at 116 mph on the evening of May 8. The vehicle then continued to move forward and hit the wall a second time on the south side of the road. Several witnesses said that after the second collision, the Tesla caught fire.

Firefighters arrived to find the Model S engulfed in flames. They used up to 300 gallons of water and foam to put out the fire. A small portion of the car's lithium-ion battery was ejected in the accident, and although there was no visible fire, firefighters also sprayed it with water and foam.

As the car was loaded and moved from the site, the battery reignited and was quickly extinguished. Once at the storage lot, the battery caught fire again and was extinguished again. NTSB officials have not yet given a cause for the battery fire.

This isn't the first time a Tesla vehicle battery has caught fire after an accident. Earlier this year, a Model X SUV crashed in Mountain View, California, and its battery caught fire again in a parking lot five days later.

Recently, actress Mary McCormack uploaded a video of her husband's Tesla Model S engulfed in flames, although it was not involved in any accidents. At the time, Tesla called the fire "extraordinary" and said it was investigating the cause.

A company spokesman declined to comment. Tesla recently rolled out a new speed limiter feature as part of its latest over-the-air software update, allowing owners to set the top speed between 50 and 90 mph. Tesla said it dedicated the feature to the son of a Tesla owner who was killed in a Fort Lauderdale crash.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.