A Model S caught fire while supercharging in Norway (link in Norwegian)

[scaesare]

Those darn dendrites!

Given their propensity to occur in space, maybe the SpaceX boys have some suggestions to share...

 

[brantse]

Is the supercharger there re-opened?

According to supercharge.info the Sundebru charger is back up today.

 

[tom66]

Hoverboards have been catching fire in many stationary locations. Poorly manufactured batteries can and do spontaneously catch fire at times, including those in cell phones and laptops.

I haven't heard of any stationary "hoverboards" catching fire. Plenty while charging or while in use though.

The problem is that they don't have any battery balancing yet they have something like 200Wh battery at ~40VDC. I've seen one taken apart. The battery had a Samsung SDI sticker on it, but peeled it off and the cells inside were marked Sanyo so who knows who made the battery, it's probably some clone or really old battery cells.

 

[bonnie]

I haven't heard of any stationary "hoverboards" catching fire. Plenty while charging or while in use though.

The problem is that they don't have any battery balancing yet they have something like 200Wh battery at ~40VDC. I've seen one taken apart. The battery had a Samsung SDI sticker on it, but peeled it off and the cells inside were marked Sanyo so who knows who made the battery, it's probably some clone or really old battery cells.

Not saying that a hoverboard caused the fire, but I am saying it is possible that the source of the fire was something that was in the car. Smoldering cigarette, hoverboard (and yes, Auzie, I do understand how fire happens ), etc.

Here's your stationary hoverboard catching fire story - but yes, it was charging at the time of the fire (plenty out there):

Officials say the hoverboard was in the living room of the home, located in the 500-block of Essex, when it caught fire around 4:45 a.m. Friday. The family said they awoke to a popping sound and the smell of smoke.

Hoverboard catches fire in Fox River Grove home | abc7chicago.com

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So many possible scenarios, but just beating this one into the ground for a bit. A hoverboard could be charged off a vehicle's USB port, which could lead to problems. http://www.laglyders.com/blog/2015/...hoverboards-safely-to-limit-risk-prevent-fire

[numerous instances of hazards created from overcharging batteries. Electronic cigarettes are devices that include a Lithium-based battery that powers a coil that heats a nicotine-infused liquid into a vapor that can be inhaled. According to a very well-done report conducted by FEMA, there were 25 reported instances of Lithium battery fires from electronic cigarettes between 2009 and 2014. Most of them were small or moderate fires, and 80% of them were from charging (overcharging) the battery. Overcharging is defined as either allowing the battery to continue charging after receiving a full charge, or using non-standard charging power sources that deliver too much power too quickly (like high-current USB ports). Both of these conditions generate heat, which in turn heats the battery, and if left unchecked in rare cases, poof. Even if overcharging does not ignite the battery, it may cause a fault in the battery that results in a problem later.

And thanks for this discussion. I learned a few things this morning.

 

[stopcrazypp]

The problem is that they don't have any battery balancing yet they have something like 200Wh battery at ~40VDC. I've seen one taken apart. The battery had a Samsung SDI sticker on it, but peeled it off and the cells inside were marked Sanyo so who knows who made the battery, it's probably some clone or really old battery cells.

It is very common for Chinese battery suppliers to use old battery cells and put a wrapper around it and sell as a new battery cell (with ridiculously high mAh claims). It becomes very obvious without even opening the wrapper when the cells turn out slightly larger or smaller even though it is supposed to be the "same" cell.

 

[Max*]

I'm still going with outside source for the fire. Like a hoverboard received as a Christmas gift.

Not saying that a hoverboard caused the fire

 

[bonnie]

Really, Max? That confused you?

I'm not saying it was specifically a hoverboard. I am saying it is very likely an outside source, such as a hoverboard, that is the cause of the fire. "Hoverboard" is an example of an outside source.

And please quote me in context. Editing my post the way you did makes it look like I was contradicting myself. I wasn't.

Not saying that a hoverboard caused the fire.

But the whole sentence makes it clear that it was an example. Fair?

Not saying that a hoverboard caused the fire, but I am saying it is possible that the source of the fire was something that was in the car.

 

[Max*]

Really, Max? That confused you?

I'm not saying it was specifically a hoverboard. I am saying it is very likely an outside source, such as a hoverboard, that is the cause of the fire. "Hoverboard" is an example of an outside source.

And please quote me in context. Editing my post the way you did makes it look like I was contradicting myself. I wasn't.

But the whole sentence makes it clear that it was an example. Fair?

FTR: I was half instigating, half seriously confused.

 

[bonnie]

FTR: I was half instigating, half seriously confused.

I'm laughing at 'half-instigating'.

 

[JER]

Half-investigating? Have you considered writing for Slate? :wink:

 

[wdolson]

We don't know what was in the car. There is a possibility that the driver was smoking and an ember fell into something flammable in the back when he opened the hatch to get something. It's also possible the driver decided to charge something he had in the car via the USB port while the car was charging on the supercharger and that battery overheated and caught fire.

It could still be something in the car's electrics that caught fire. The charging hardware is under the back seat and it's been determined the car caught fire somewhere in the back of the car.

At the moment, there is nothing we know one way or the other. The insurance investigators and Tesla may never tell the public, so we may never know. In any case it is a fluke fire.

 

[WMAC]

We don't know what was in the car. There is a possibility that the driver was smoking and an ember fell into something flammable in the back when he opened the hatch to get something. It's also possible the driver decided to charge something he had in the car via the USB port while the car was charging on the supercharger and that battery overheated and caught fire.

It could still be something in the car's electrics that caught fire. The charging hardware is under the back seat and it's been determined the car caught fire somewhere in the back of the car.

At the moment, there is nothing we know one way or the other. The insurance investigators and Tesla may never tell the public, so we may never know. In any case it is a fluke fire.

They likely won't know either. There's not much to pull evidence from.

 

[Auzie]

It is very common for Chinese battery suppliers to use old battery cells and put a wrapper around it and sell as a new battery cell (with ridiculously high mAh claims). It becomes very obvious without even opening the wrapper when the cells turn out slightly larger or smaller even though it is supposed to be the "same" cell.

That is the most efficient and elegant recycling process that I've heard of, pity the product quality sucks

We don't know what was in the car. There is a possibility that the driver was smoking and an ember fell into something flammable in the back when he opened the hatch to get something. It's also possible the driver decided to charge something he had in the car via the USB port while the car was charging on the supercharger and that battery overheated and caught fire.

It could still be something in the car's electrics that caught fire. The charging hardware is under the back seat and it's been determined the car caught fire somewhere in the back of the car.

At the moment, there is nothing we know one way or the other. The insurance investigators and Tesla may never tell the public, so we may never know. In any case it is a fluke fire.

A cigarette ember on its own might not be sufficient to start a fire, it would need to fall on something more flammable than car components. Perhaps some clothing. Not impossible but unlikely imho.

 

[EarlyAdopter]

They likely won't know either. There's not much to pull evidence from.

If only they weren't under the mistaken belief you shouldn't extinguish an EV fire with water...

 

[wdolson]

A cigarette ember on its own might not be sufficient to start a fire, it would need to fall on something more flammable than car components. Perhaps some clothing. Not impossible but unlikely imho.

Yes, nothing in the car itself would be that flammable. Maybe he had some fireworks in the back or a can of gasoline?

 

[Model 3]

Given the statistics, it's very likely to have been an issue with that particular car--especially given that it was a recent purchase (although not new) and therefore likely went through some sort of servicing.

One member of the Norwegian forum said that he had tried to buy this car from Tesla just before Christmas, but it was sold by the time he got to the shop. So according to this forum post it was a CPO sold by Tesla (not a privately sold car), and then probably had "some sort of servicing" by Tesla prior to the sale.

 

[lolachampcar]

Tesla does some sort of servicing thousands of times a week and their cars are not lighting up super chargers......... I'm hopeful we see the report soon as speculation is useless here.

Sorry for the harsh opinion but I keep visiting this thread hoping a native had posted the official inquiry results.

 

[JRP3]

I'm thinking meth lab in the trunk...

 

[smac]

I'm thinking meth lab in the trunk...

I was going to post the same thing

All the clues are there. It wasn't the drivers car, a known associate was borrowing it, the scene was cordoned off by police and the car even had "rims"

I believe it was Walthais Whitenson's car! It all makes perfect sense. Call off the official investigation TMC has solved the case

 

[ohmman]

I was thinking grandmother's 102nd birthday. Carrying cake with lit candles to her house.