NHTSA Complaint #11511951 — 2019 AUDI E-TRON

Last night, driving home from the airport, I stopped for a charge at an Electrify America charging station in San Diego, CA. Charging station ID is 200143-03. At the start of the charge, the port caught on fire, shot flames about a foot from the car. Obviously, after the flames subsided, I unplugged it. The DC high voltage pins are melted. I drove home without charging, driving slowly to maximize range and make it home. Luckily, I was not injured by the fire. The vehicle did not report any warnings, errors, codes, or anything. It seems functional. I have not attempted to charge it at home. I reported the incident when it occurred to Electrify America. Their case number is [XXX]. This morning I reported the incident to Audi USA. Their reference number is [XXX]. I informed the Audi representative that I would be making this report. The exact cause is unclear. It could be a problem with the charging station or its plug. However, it is clear that its safety systems did not detect the short circuit and stop the high voltage current from flowing. Curiously, there is also not a "big red button" to push on the charging station to shut it down (to prevent anyone else from using the station) - I had to ask the rep to remotely disable the station until their team could look at it. Or, it could be a problem with the vehicle. It has successfully charged several times at Electrify America (Audi's preferred vendor, because they are a Volkswagen company), and it charges nightly at home without issue. But perhaps something on the vehicle side caused the system to short circuit. At this time, I am awaiting guidance from the local Audi dealer on how to get it inspected. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).