Tesla driver suffers burns after crash ignites ‘thermal runaway’ process in Australia

NSW firefighters responded to an electric vehicle fire on October 17 after the car's battery caught alight. Photo / NSW RFS - Diamond Beach

A Tesla driver in Australia has suffered burns across his upper body after a crash ignited a process called a “thermal runaway”.

New South Wales firefighters used more than 20,000 litres of water to extinguish the car on Friday in a stark reminder of the unique fire hazard of electric vehicles.

Diamond Beach Rural Fire Service shared photos of the charred car on Facebook, detailing an October 17 callout to a crash near Rainbow Flat.

Supporting the Rainbow Flat Brigade, firefighters successfully extinguished the wreck after hauling more than 20,000 litres of water to the blaze.

Once the flames were doused, the vehicle was relocated to a “safe area” as a precaution, where it will be monitored for reignition.

Multiple brigades responded to the blaze. Photo / NSW RFS - Diamond Beach

A spokesperson for NSW Ambulance Service told news.com a man was also treated at the scene for burns to his face, hands and arms.

The Tesla reportedly caught alight after the battery pack was damaged in an accident, quickly developing into a severe blaze.

Diamond Beach RFS described electric vehicle callouts as “a challenge for brigades”.

“Some five years ago Diamond Beach RFS and other local brigades began training for the possibility of a serious electric vehicle fire”, the post reads.

“When the nature of the fire was recognised, the call went out for other brigades to ferry water to the scene.”

The Tesla was relocated to a location where firefighters can easily respond to a reignition. Photo / NSW RFS - Diamond Beach

Electric vehicles pose this special fire risk because of the instability of their battery-powered systems.

According to Allianz, damaged EV battery cells can quickly overheat and burst into flame thanks to a chemical process called thermal runaway.

As the temperature rises in a single cell, the pressure increases throughout the pack, setting off a chain reaction that can continually refuel the flames.

This means burning electric vehicles are hard to extinguish and often require significantly more water than a conventional car fire.

EV Fire Safe recommends looking out for early signs of thermal runaway after an electric vehicle collision.

The sound of popping and the emittance of a dark vapour can both signal that the car’s battery cells are overheating.