Recently-launched Tesla sedan catches fire, traps owner briefly

A recently-launched Tesla electric vehicle burst into flames with the owner trapped inside for a while after its electric doors failed to open. The incident happened only three days after
the $129,000 top-of-the-range car was delivered following its launch in June,
an attorney for the driver told Reuters.

The car rolled for 35–40 feet before turning into a ‘fireball’ near the owner’s Pennsylvania home, said Mark Geragos, a lawyer with Geragos & Geragos, a US-based law firm, Reuters reported.

“It was a harrowing and horrifying experience,” Geragos
said, adding, “This is a brand-new model…We are doing an investigation. We are
calling for the S Plaid to be grounded, not to be on the road until we get to
the bottom of this.”

The Elon Musk-founded company has not made any comments to the incident so far.  

The 50-year-old billionaire had touted the
performance of the Model S sedan as being “faster than any
Porsche, safer than any Volvo” at a launch event at the automaker’s
factory in Fremont, California last month.

Earlier in April, he said the new Model S sedan and
Model X sport utility vehicle had a new battery pack.

“It took quite a bit of development to ensure that
the battery of the new S/X is safe,” Musk said on a conference call, addressing
production delays. “There were more challenges than expected in developing the
new version.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) said it is “in touch with relevant agencies and the manufacturer to
gather information about the incident”.

“If data or investigations show a defect or an
inherent risk to safety exists, NHTSA will take action as appropriate to
protect the public,” the federal safety agency said.