EV battery fire engulfs Tesla truck after highway crash

A Tesla Semi crash in California has resulted in extended road closures after the electric vehicle’s (EV’s) battery caught fire, burning down the truck and spewing toxic fumes into the air.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the electric truck lost control travelling eastbound on the I-80 highway and crashed into trees just after 3am on Monday August 19.

The Los Angeles Times reports the ensuing EV battery fire burned into the late afternoon, forcing authorities to close the highway in both directions.

Toxic fumes were emitted from the blaze, which reportedly burned at over 500 degrees celsius.

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While Tesla doesn’t openly publish full vehicle specifications, the Semi uses a lithium-ion battery roughly 900kWh in capacity. For context, that’s more than 10 times the size of the battery used in the Model Y Long Range.

A comprehensive cleanup operation was required before the highway was reopened more than 16 hours after the incident.

This is the first incident of its kind involving a Tesla Semi.

Tesla Semi production kicked off in late 2022, although the rollout has been far from smooth with long wait times for corporate customers.

The truck itself is powered by a trio of electric motors, with a claimed range of 805km. It’s also allegedly capable of maintaining highway speeds at a five per cent gradient.

Fast charging capability allows the Semi to reach 70 per cent charge from empty in 30 minutes.

MORE: Everything Tesla