NHTSA Complaint #11020673 — 2017 TESLA MODEL S

THIS IS A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE ISSUE OF FIRES IN THE TESLA CARS. THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE FIRES IN 2013. TESLA CLAIMED THAT THE FIRES WERE STARTED BY AN OBJECT PUNCTURING THE BATTERY PACK AND THAT THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN SOLVED BY THE ADDITION OF A BATTERY SHIELD. SINCE THAT TIME THERE HAVE BEEN DOZENS MORE TESLA FIRES. IT IS OBVIOUS FROM LOOKING AT VIDEOS OF FIRES THAT IN MOST CASES IT IS NOT THE BATTERIES BURNING (THEY BURN WITH A WHITE FLAME AND WITH CELLS EXPLODING LIKE FIRE-CRACKERS) IN ALMOST EVERY CASE IT IS THE COOLANT FLUID THAT IS BURNING. PROPYLENE GLYCOL IS FLAMMABLE. EVEN WHEN DILUTED WITH WATER 50:50 IT IS STILL FLAMMABLE WHEN THERE IS SUFFICIENT HEAT TO BOIL OFF THE WATER CONTENT. WHEN THE BATTERY CELLS ARE HOT FROM RECENT CHARGING OR FROM HARD DRIVING THEN THERE IS SUFFICIENT THERMAL MASS TO BOIL OFF THE FLUID ESPECIALLY IF THE RADIATOR PRESSURE IS LOST. THE TESLA RADIATORS AND FLUID HOSES ARE AT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND ARE HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO IMPACT DAMAGE. TESLAS CONTAIN OVER 6 GALLONS OF FLAMMABLE GLYCOL. THE BATTERIES THEMSELVES WILL NOT SELF IGNITE UNLESS THEY ARE CRUSHED IN A HEAVY IMPACT. THE RISK OF FIRES FROM A LEAKAGE OF HOT PROPYLENE GLYCOL IS FAR GREATER. A GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH FOR TESLA FIRE SHOWS DOZENS OF CASES WHERE POOLS OF FLUID ARE BURNING ON THE GROUND BENEATH THE CAR AND THE FRONT OF THE CAR IS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. MOST OF THESE FIRES ARE NOT ACCOMPANIED BY BATTERY PYROTECHNICS THEY ARE SIMPLY COOLANT FIRES. PLEASE REOPEN THE FIRE INVESTIGATION.