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Tesla says Model S fire started in battery pack; share prices falling

Yesterday's fire that engulfed a Tesla Model S, the first blaze involving the critically acclaimed electric sedan, was caused when a piece of road debris impacted the front of the car, damaging the battery pack and starting a fire, according to an email sent to AutoblogGreen by Tesla. Now, The New York Times has learned that the fire was indeed caused by debris that made "a direct impact ... to one of the 16 modules within the Model S battery pack," according to Tesla spokesperson Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean.
Despite the blaze, Tesla maintains that the battery packs did their job by isolating the fire, with Jarvis-Shean saying, "Because each module within the battery pack is, by design, isolated by fire barriers to limit any potential damage, the fire in the battery pack was contained to a small section in the front of the vehicle."
The nature of the fire, though, seemed to catch the Kent Fire Department Regional Fire Authority off guard. The department's report, which was obtained by the International Business Times and partially published on Jalopnik, claims that water used to put out the blaze seemed to intensify the fire, forcing the firefighters to use a dry chemical. Later, they found the battery pack still burning inside the front end. The report claims firefighters, "had to puncture multiple holes in the pack to apply water to the burning material in the battery," and also had to cut into the frame to douse the burning pack.

Tesla Model S now the least-stolen car in the US

When is a Honda Accord more appealing than a Tesla Model S? When you're a thief. The Accord continues to reign as the most-stolen car in the US but the Model S is now claiming a new and interesting title: the least-stolen car in America. Last year, it wasn't even on the list. Of course, sometimes a Model S is stolen and the most famous case ended with tragic results. Last year there was an eight-way tie for "least-stolen." For the record, last year there was an eight-way tie for "least-stolen," made up mostly of SUVs and CUVs. The rankings were listed by a value called "claim frequency," which is how many were reported stolen per 1,000 units produced and where lower means it is stolen less. With a 0.4, these were the vehicles least wanted by thieves in 2013: Dodge Journey, Volkswagen Tiguan, Audi A4, Acura RDX, Toyota Matrix, Lexus HS 250 hybrid, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson. This year, the Tesla clocked in with a 0.15. The average vehicle has a claim frequency of 3.51. Tesla has, of course, worked hard to make the Model S an unlikely target. It can be shut down remotely, it can be tracked and it has a hacker princess and cash prizes working to protect from other attacks. Tesla's Alexis Georgeson told AutoblogGreen that Tesla hasn't been able to verify the "least-stolen" moniker but said that, "We take the security of our cars very seriously and relentlessly continue to improve our vehicles via over-the-air updates, an ability unique to the industry. We will continue to work to stay ahead by providing the most sophisticated tools and technologies in our cars and working closely with security researchers to identify and address potential vulnerabilities." Value Walk says that another reason for the low theft rate is that there might be very low demand for Model S parts, since the cars are still under warranty and there aren't many on the road. Still, the claim frequency is a fair comparison, and by that metric the Tesla Model S looks just awful to at least one group of people.

Recharge Wrap-up: Fisker EMotion rear end, Faraday Future drag race teaser

Fisker has unveiled the rear end of its EMotion EV. This latest image in a series of slow reveals shows us the strip of lighting across the back, the lines of the trunk opening, and a good look at the rear diffuser. The car appears significantly wider at the fenders than at the roofline, which gives it a planted and muscular look. It's a shape that fits the car's stated performance; Fisker says the EMotion will have a top speed of 161 miles per hour. And, of course, there are no tailpipes. Read more from TechCrunch. Check out the off-road prowess of the Tesla Model X in an icy ditch. Thanks to a sophisticated traction control and torque distribution system, the electric SUV is able to keep its composure even when a wheel leaves the ground over the uneven terrain. Of course, the grippy winter tires help too. The video could also help ease concerns about the vehicles torsional rigidity, though there was a slight creak when opening one of the falcon wing doors while the Model X was suspended over the ditch. See the video and read more at Teslarati. Faraday Future is teasing a video of drag races against the Tesla Model X, Bentley Bentayga, and Ferrari 488 GTB. It shows the camouflaged FF prototype lining up next to the competitors individually, and taking off down the drag strip before cutting the video short. The video then instructs viewers to "stay connected" for the results. Presumably, the prototype will perform impressively. Outrunning a Model X P100D with Ludicrous mode means doing 0-60 in less than 2.9 seconds. Faraday Future is slated to unveil its production electric vehicle at CES 2017 in early January. Check out the video and read more at Teslarati.