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Porsche alt-drive prototype goes up in flames - testing equipment blamed

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While this is bad press for EVs, I believe it points out what a great job Tesla has done. I keep hearing the argument that Tesla's technology is nothing special and that "if" EVs take off, every major auto maker will just start churning them out. I think they are severely underestimating Tesla's tech. I also think it's silly to blow things out of proportion when an EV catches fire...don't ICE vehicles catch fire a lot?
 
While this is bad press for EVs, I believe it points out what a great job Tesla has done. I keep hearing the argument that Tesla's technology is nothing special and that "if" EVs take off, every major auto maker will just start churning them out. I think they are severely underestimating Tesla's tech. I also think it's silly to blow things out of proportion when an EV catches fire...don't ICE vehicles catch fire a lot?

Fire suppression is an important part of how Tesla has modified the 18650 cells. CapitalistOppresser's great thread about the Tesla technology articultes that pretty well.
 
This is a non-event. Wasn't even the car.

Just last month I encountered a burning ICE powered minivan, near our office. Happens all the time, doesn't make the news.

How many times have you listened to the traffic report and heard "traffic is backed at intersection of X and Y up due to a car fire in the shoulder" and just ignored it.
I used to ignore it, but now I take notice: another one of those flammable ICE cars burning again.
 
Hold on a minute. I'm calling BS on this one: "1 in 1400 ICE per year in a fire". Just because you read it on the internet doesn't make it true, and I'd like a little background confirmation before this goes down a gospel. It DOES NOT help our cause to use faulty data.

Now, if it IS true, that's fine - but let's see the hard facts, ma'am.
 
Hold on a minute. I'm calling BS on this one: "1 in 1400 ICE per year in a fire". Just because you read it on the internet doesn't make it true, and I'd like a little background confirmation before this goes down a gospel. It DOES NOT help our cause to use faulty data.

Now, if it IS true, that's fine - but let's see the hard facts, ma'am.

I provided the link to the vehicle fire data.
 
I provided the link to the vehicle fire data.

Although I will admit that it is possible that the International Union of Concerned Firefighters is overstating the fire risk because they are after the huge pile of o-so-lucrative grant money to research how to keep people from burning up in cars. But I think it is most likely that they are providing the best data and analysis that they can out of genuine concern for the human race because they could easily find gainful employment researching how to keep people from being killed by bullets instead. I would instead focus my doubt on the cartel of "big fire" who claim that fire is and always will be a natural phenomenon immune from anthropogenic influence regardless of how much gasoline you throw on it.
 
According to this Bloomberg article, it wasn't even the battery that started the fire, but testing equipment.

Porsche Prototype Catches Fire Due to Testing Equipment - Bloomberg

Of course that could be VW's 'official' response to allay fears that their upcoming car caused a fire.

Are we jumping the gun on this one?

According to Bloomberg, Porsche have yet to state that was an EV. Could be a hybrid or some ICE prototype.

This thread title should be ammended to "Porsche prototype goes up in flames - test equipment blamed" until we have a clearer picture.

Original story source seems to be here: http://m.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/inh...men.bb1f4ec4-4116-475b-8f31-3e2aa80808f8.html
 
Are we jumping the gun on this one?

According to Bloomberg, Porsche have yet to state that was an EV. Could be a hybrid or some ICE prototype.

This thread title should be ammended to "Porsche prototype goes up in flames - test equipment blamed" until we have a clearer picture.

Original story source seems to be here: http://m.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/inh...men.bb1f4ec4-4116-475b-8f31-3e2aa80808f8.html

Agreed. Several other story sources state only an "alternative-drive" vehicle, no indication of a pure EV. Thread renamed.