Et tu, Brute? Tesla Semi catches fire while driving
A Tesla Semi electric tractor unit caught fire while driving in California, forcing police to close Interstate 880 in both directions. The driver escaped uninjured, but traffic disruption lasted nearly ten hours. What makes the incident unusual is that the truck had not been involved in a crash before catching fire.
Truck caught fire without a collision
According to the driver, the truck caught fire unexpectedly. Police closed both directions because of potentially hazardous smoke. Northbound traffic resumed at 20:40, while the southbound lanes did not reopen until 3:31am the following morning.
According to local outlet KQED, no one was injured. The exact cause of the fire is under investigation.
Battery fires can prolong emergency operations for hours
Lithium-ion battery fires are complicated by thermal runaway, in which one battery cell overheating can damage neighbouring cells. As a result, firefighters must monitor the battery's temperature even after visible flames have been extinguished.
A Tesla Semi has caught fire in California before. In August 2024, a truck caught fire after leaving the road and colliding with trees. According to the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), approximately 189,000 litres of water were used to extinguish the fire and cool the battery, and traffic was halted for more than 14 hours.
No preceding collision has been identified in the latest incident, but that does not yet prove a technical fault in the battery.
Reliability is at stake for Tesla
The incident comes as Tesla increases Semi production. The electric truck promises a range of up to 805 km and energy consumption of approximately 1.06 kWh/km. With charging power of up to 1.2 MW, the system should restore 60% of the range in 30 minutes under ideal conditions.
In Europe, Tesla faces competitors including the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 and Volvo FH Electric, whose manufacturers already have established service networks.
