According to a report from KXAN, the Austin (TX) Fire Department (AFD) responded to a crash on the west side of the city early Thursday morning after a Tesla crashed into a gas station, igniting a fire.
The crash occurred at around 1:20 a.m. in the 2600 block of Exposition Boulevard, causing the fire.
AFD crews brought the fire under control, but needed to take extra precautions to ensure the Tesla’s lithium batteries were cool enough and would not reignite. The department said to expect traffic delays in the area.
Tesla batteries have been trouble areas for firefighters in the past. This past spring in a northern Houston suburb, a Tesla burned for several hours after the batteries kept reigniting following a crash that killed two people. That vehicle’s Autopilot driverless feature was apparently in use when that crash occurred.
The AFD said they are currently training their firefighters on responses involving lithium batteries, similar to those found in Tesla cars.
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