Tesla Model S bursts into flames while super charging in Norway

By Lulu Chang Published January 3, 2016

The Tesla has been a hot commodity for a while now, but on New Year’s Day, it caught on fire — literally. At a SuperCharger station in Norway yesterday, the Model S burst into flames mid-charge, leaving the vehicle completely incinerated. Thankfully, no one was injured in the blast. The car’s owner left his vehicle unattended while he went to run a few errands. The Tesla itself was not so lucky.

Tesla tok fyr under hurtiglading. https://t.co/enzKpdWxae @nrksorlandet pic.twitter.com/rLzQmUBCFE

— NRK (@NRKno) January 1, 2016

Speaking with Norway’s VG News, a police officer affiliated with the nearby Jon Kvitnes College said, “We received notification at 2:29 p.m. that a car was on fire near a café on Brokelandsheia. We came out with the fire brigade and police, but it turned out that this car was burned out when the emergency services arrived at the scene.”

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It is still unclear as to what exactly caused the fire, though the police noted that the blast damaged not only the Tesla, but the Super Charging station, as well. In a tweet later that day, officials wrote: “Not possible to fast-charge Tesla on Brokelandsheia until further notice.” An investigation of both the charger and the car are currently being carried out, and Tesla has promised an inquiry of its own (and says it “will share our findings as soon as possible”).

This isn’t the first time a Tesla has seemingly spontaneously combusted — a few years ago, a Model S infamously caught on fire while sitting in a Toronto garage, and the wall charger unit was later suggested to be responsible for the flames. According to a member of the fire brigade in Norway, fighting fires caused by electric cars is particularly challenging.

“The world renowned electric car has batteries made of lithium, a metal that is highly flammable, and that makes firefighting difficult,” said Anders Torbjørnsen. “Electric vehicle fires are fairly new for us at Agder. It is quite rare for an electric car to burn, but once it catches fire, lithium batteries make it more challenging. After a while the fire brigade brought the flames under control but the car was completely damaged,” he concluded.

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Cars

Costco partners with Electric Era to bring back EV charging in the U.S.

costco ev charging us electricera fast station 1260x945

Costco, known for its discount gas stations, has left EV drivers in need of juicing up out in the cold for the past 12 years. But that seems about to change now that the big-box retailer is putting its brand name on a DC fast-charging station in Ridgefield, Washington.
After being one of the early pioneers of EV charging in the 1990s, Costco abandoned the offering in 2012 in the U.S.
While opening just one station may seem like a timid move, the speed at which the station was installed -- just seven weeks -- could indicate big plans going forward.
Besides lightening-speed installation, Electric Era, the Seattle-based company making and installing the charging station, promises to offer “hyper-reliable, battery-backed fast charging technology in grid-constrained locations.”
Its stalls can deliver up to 200 kilowatts and come with built-in battery storage, allowing for lower electricity rates and the ability to remain operational even when power grids go down.
If that sounds like it could very well rival Tesla’s SuperCharger network, it’s no coincidence: Quincy Lee, its CEO, is a former SpaceX engineer.
Costco also seems confident enough in the company to have put its brand name on the EV-charging station. Last year, the wholesaler did open a pilot station in Denver, this time partnering with Electrify America, the largest charging network in the U.S. However, Costco did not put its brand name on it.
In an interview with Green Car Reports, Electric Era said it was still in talks with Costco about the opening of new locations. Last year, Costco said it was planning to install fast chargers at 20 locations, without providing further details. It has maintained EV-charging operations in Canada, the UK, Spain, and South Korea.
Meanwhile, the wholesaler’s U.S. EV-charging plans might very well resemble those of rival Walmart, which last year announced it was building its own EV fast-charging network in addition to the arrangements it already had with Electrify America.

Cars

Nissan launches charging network, gives Ariya access to Tesla SuperChargers

nissan charging ariya superchargers at station

Nissan just launched a charging network that gives owners of its EVs access to 90,000 charging stations on the Electrify America, Shell Recharge, ChargePoint and EVgo networks, all via the MyNissan app.It doesn’t stop there: Later this year, Nissan Ariya vehicles will be getting a North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapter, also known as the Tesla plug. And in 2025, Nissan will be offering electric vehicles (EVs) with a NACS port, giving access to Tesla’s SuperCharger network in the U.S. and Canada.Starting in November, Nissan EV drivers can use their MyNissan app to find charging stations, see charger availability in real time, and pay for charging with a payment method set up in the app.The Nissan Leaf, however, won’t have access to the functionality since the EV’s charging connector is not compatible. Leaf owners can still find charging stations through the NissanConnectEV and Services app.Meanwhile, the Nissan Ariya, and most EVs sold in the U.S., have a Combined Charging System Combo 1 (CCS1) port, which allows access to the Tesla SuperCharger network via an adapter.Nissan is joining the ever-growing list of automakers to adopt NACS. With adapters, EVs made by General Motors, Ford, Rivian, Honda and Volvo can already access the SuperCharger network. Kia, Hyundai, Toyota, BMW, Volkswagen, and Jaguar have also signed agreements to allow access in 2025.
Nissan has not revealed whether the adapter for the Ariya will be free or come at a cost. Some companies, such as Ford, Rivian and Kia, have provided adapters for free.
With its new Nissan Energy Charge Network and access to NACS, Nissan is pretty much covering all the bases for its EV drivers in need of charging up. ChargePoint has the largest EV charging network in the U.S., with over 38,500 stations and 70,000 charging ports at the end of July. Tesla's charging network is the second largest, though not all of its charging stations are part of the SuperCharger network.

Cars

Tesla has released a cheaper Model 3 — and I really hope it comes to the U.S.

Tesla Model 3 Highland Front

The Tesla Model 3 is already one of the most popular electric vehicles, thanks to its large selection of great EV features and a reasonably low price compared to other electric cars. But it seems like Tesla is working on making the car even cheaper and has released a more affordable Model 3 with a downgraded interior in Mexico.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad that the Model 3 is available at a lower price in Mexico (it cuts the price of the current base Model 3 by around $4,000). But I really hope the vehicle makes it to the U.S.
What's different?
There are a few things that set the cheaper Model 3 variant apart from the current base Model 3 in the U,S. Most of these have to do with a regression of features compared to the Model 3 Highland update that was released last year. For example, the new passenger display in the back seat has been removed, and the accent lighting in the car is white only. Additionally, the seat coverings are a cheaper fabric instead of the faux leather available in the current Model 3. And there are no options for heated seats or a heated steering wheel.