It’s a fact bad news sells newspapers. It probably attracts more blog visitors too. Hong Kong journalist Stephen Vines said “Newspapers are full of bad news. That’s because that’s what people want to read. And woe betide any editor that forgets this”. Perhaps that’s why The Drive posted an article about Tesla being plagued with battery fires. This is despite best efforts to prevent them.
Why Is Tesla Being Plagued with This Problem Still
Some 499,992 Tesla cars did not catch fire during the past 24 months. That’s according to the stats we know of. The 8 fires The Drive reported on June 18, 2019 were hence relatively minor exceptions during those two years.
Hence, it seems there is nothing inherently wrong with Tesla’s products. The real story concerns Tesla being plagued by lithium-ion battery technology. Which it admittedly manufactures. Laptops, cellphones, hover boards, e-bikes, and even gadgets all have their explosive moments. So why single us out, the company asks. “By the way, gas cars catch fire too,” Tesla told The Drive’s Jonahton Klein.
Is the Problem the Technology or the Environment?
A Tesla spokesperson went on to say “From our research we know that there are many external factors that can cause a fire to occur. These include building fires, vehicle damage, improper maintenance by unauthorized mechanics, aftermarket modifications and improper vehicle charging.”
There’s another possibility though, and that’s deteriorating lithium-ion batteries. Undercharging, over charging and causing them to overheat can spawn internal dendrites that cause battery shorts. A direct connection between anode and cathode via flammable electrolyte may be all you need to start a Tesla fire.
“Fire incidents involving Tesla vehicles are already extremely rare. And our cars are significantly less likely to experience a fire than a gas car,” the company says. ” However, we believe the right number of incidents to aspire to, is zero.” We agree with that!
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Preview Image: Dendritic Crystallization
