A couple’s Tesla Model X had a close call when it almost ended up submerged in water at a boat ramp in Hollywood, Florida. The incident occurred in October and although there are still some missing details, it is clear that the main points are agreed upon. The wife backed the trailer and jet ski into the water while the husband got the jet ski ready. However, while the husband was on the jet ski, the Tesla started flashing a warning to the wife, indicating that she needed to get out of the car. Unfortunately, the electronically powered doors of the car were closed and malfunctioning, preventing her from opening them. Luckily, the husband quickly came to her rescue and got her out of the car before it was submerged.
According to the Hollywood Professional Firefighters Facebook page, the SUV lost traction and slid into the inter-coastal, although it is unclear if this caused the malfunction. In a video posted on the page, it can be seen that the front doors of the car were not open, but the falcon doors were open, and at least one rear window was open as well.
After the SUV slid into the water, its battery caught fire, causing toxic gases and flames to erupt from the water’s surface. This is not uncommon when it comes to batteries and water. Patrick Durham, a fire department captain and training officer who also helps in designing EV battery boxes, explained that even sealed battery boxes need to be vented to allow gases to escape. When the box gets submerged, there is a high chance that the ventilation system will fail and water will enter the box. In the case of saltwater, it is particularly damaging to lithium-ion EV batteries as it can short-circuit the electronics and cause the battery to go into thermal runaway. Two similar incidents were cited by Durham, one involving a Model X in Spain and the other a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV in Vancouver. In both cases, the batteries went into thermal runaway, with the Mitsubishi reigniting in the marina parking lot after being pulled from the water too soon.
Emergency crews at the scene decided to let the fire burn until it extinguished itself. They then loaded the Model X onto a carrier and transported it to the impound lot, with a fire truck following closely in case the battery reignited. Fortunately, no one was injured in the accident.
