A truckload of Tesla Model Ys caught fire in Turkey

A truckload of Tesla Model Ys caught fire in Turkey, and the truck driver claims that the fire originated from one of the electric vehicles.

Electric vehicles don’t catch on fire at a rate higher than gasoline-powered vehicles, but they do catch on fire for different reasons. When those don’t involve crashes, it’s important to investigate them.

Yesterday, firefighters were called to extinguish a truck carrying 6 Tesla Model Y that caught on fire.

DonanımHaber reported that, according to the truck driver, the fire originated from one of the Model Y (translated from Turkish):

The fire was caused by electric cars on a truck traveling on Arıfat Street, Tuzla district of Istanbul, around 02.30. As seen from the shared videos, the truck was carrying Tesla Model Y vehicles. According to the truck driver, the fire broke out in one of the electric vehicles being transported for an unknown reason. However, it is not known exactly how and what caused the fire. The vehicle battery may have been damaged during loading, or the fire may have started due to a reason caused by the truck.

It reportedly took an hour to extinguish the fire, and all six Tesla vehicles were “usable” by the end.

Tesla only started deliveries in Turkey earlier this year, but the automaker has been doing well in the market with already around 8,000 deliveries, according to local reports.

After meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Elon Musk said “Turkey is among the most important candidates for the next Tesla factory.“

Electrek’s Take

EV fires that originate without an accident should undoubtedly be investigated for cause. It’s not normal for a car to catch on fire while sitting on a trailer, electric or not.

That said, with over 1 million Model Y vehicles in the world, it is inevitable that some incidents like this one will happen.

Hopefully, it doesn’t turn the Turkish market off to electric vehicles just as deliveries are ramping up in the country.