A brand new Tesla Plaid catches fire with the driver at the wheel

Sylvie Claire / July 3, 2021

A brand new Tesla Model S Plaid caught fire in Pennsylvania in the United States, with its driver at the wheel, who had trouble getting out of the vehicle, according to authorities and the motorist's lawyers.

The accident happened Tuesday night in Haverford, not far from Philadelphia, the Lower Merion Fire Department detailed in a statement Friday.

Due to the size of the fire and the type of vehicle involved, several companies were dispatched to the scene, said firefighters, who had to douse the car for more than two hours to put out the fire.

According to lawyers claiming to represent the driver, the driver was behind the wheel when the vehicle spontaneously combusted. He was temporarily trapped inside before he could get out.

Most of the vehicle's body and interior were burned, show photos posted on the fire department website.

In a message sent to AFP, Mark Geragos of Geragos & Geragos, who says he represents the driver, called it a scary situation and an obvious major problem.

Our preliminary investigation is ongoing, but we are asking Tesla to sideline these cars until a full investigation can take place, he added without naming his client.

He is working on the case with another attorney, Jason Setchen of Athlete Defender.

Tesla did not respond to a request from AFP.