Fire Erupts in Tesla Electric Car Parked on Street After Mercedes... "Flames Started from Front of Vehicle"

Fire in Tesla Electric Car Parked on the Street
Owner: "Fire Occurred After Parking, Not During Charging"
No Casualties Reported

Amid growing public concerns about electric vehicle fires, an incident occurred where a Tesla electric car parked on the street caught fire.

At around 7:40 PM on the 16th, a Tesla electric car parked on the street in Gugaldong, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province caught fire.

The car owner, Mr. A, noticed sounds and smoke coming from the tires after parking and reported it to the fire authorities. The fire is known to have started from the front part of the vehicle.

The fire department responded to a 119 call reporting "a vehicle on fire," dispatching 49 personnel including firefighters and 18 pieces of equipment such as pump trucks to the scene to extinguish the fire.

The fire department used smothering fire blankets and other methods to prevent thermal runaway during the extinguishing process. The major flames were brought under control by 8:16 PM, and the firefighting efforts continued for over an hour.

Yongin Tesla Electric Vehicle Fire Site
[Image Source: Provided by Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters]

It was confirmed that there were no casualties from this fire. In the initial on-site investigation by the fire department, Mr. A stated that the fire started after parking and that the vehicle was not charging at the time.

The fire department and police will soon conduct a detailed investigation into the cause of the fire.

Following a recent electric vehicle fire incident in Incheon, 17 complete car brands manufacturing and selling electric vehicles domestically, including Tesla, have disclosed their battery manufacturers.

Some brands such as Hyundai Motor Company, Kia, and BMW proactively revealed their battery manufacturers. Then, on the 13th, the government recommended that all vehicle manufacturers voluntarily disclose this information, prompting the remaining brands to share battery details as well. Tesla also disclosed its electric vehicle battery information through data submitted to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 15th.

Earlier, on the morning of the 1st, a fire broke out in a Mercedes-Benz electric car in the underground first-floor parking lot of an apartment complex in Cheongra-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon. This fire damaged or scorched about 140 vehicles.