Could a Tesla cost you your home?
Investigators believe a car battery from one of the high-end electric cars is to blame for San Ramon, Calif., fire that left Yogi and Carolyn Vindum without a home, according to ABC 7 News.
If the house fire wasn’t caused by the circa 2013 battery, it was the Tesla’s electrical system, investigators from San Ramon Valley Fire determined.
It was the early morning hours of Dec. 30 last year when they realized something was wrong with their Tesla Model S. According to the Washington Post, the Vindums were asleep when the vehicle beamed an alert that its charging had been interrupted. Around 12 minutes later, they awoke to a blaring car alarm and fire consuming their two Tesla vehicles as well as their home.
“If we had lived upstairs in this house, we’d be dead,” said Yogi Vindum, a retired mechanical engineer, according to the Washington Post. They were able to escape out f the back of the house from their downstairs bedroom.
Afraid that winds would spread the fire to neighboring properties, the couple rushed to wake up their neighbors at around 5:30 a.m.
Video captured by a nearby Ring security camera recorded the scene. Yogi also recorded a video with his phone as he looked for his wife through flames and smoke.
“I went back in to look for you,” Yogi can be heard saying on the video to Carolyn.
“Oh, I'm sorry,” she responded.
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Though Yogi first thought the fire had started upstairs, where his powered-up computers were, he realized it was the Teslas when he saw the fire from outside of the house.
“As soon as I saw flames outside, I knew it was in the garage. You can see flames coming from both cars... and when I saw my phone later that the charging had been interrupted, not completed,” he said, according to ABC.
Tesla had sent him two text messages about the charging interruption. First came a message that read “charging interrupted at 5:25 a.m.
with battery at 180 miles.” The next said “car alarm has been triggered.”
Both of the Vindum’s Tesla vehicles were destroyed in the blaze.
So far, the couple has not gotten answers from the automaker as to how this could happen, said ABC.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation into the batteries used in the 2012 and 2019 Models S and X 22 months ago, before the fire, said ABC. It is still ongoing as of Aug. 18 and the agency does not comment on ongoing investigations.
Last month, CNBC reported that a Tesla caught fire in Pennsylvania while someone was driving it.
“Can the agency not get to the bottom of what's causing these fires? Do they know and they haven't had a chance to share that information? Is Tesla being obstructive? We just don't know and that's sort of the problem,” said Jason Levine of the Center for Auto Safety. He said investigations can drag on for a long time.
Tesla did not return numerous emails and phone calls from ABC, said the outlet.
According to Yogi Tesla declined a request to replace both of his 2013 and 2017 vehicles, plus provide him free lifetime charging, which he had under a previous promotion, as he has already received an insurance payout.
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In 2013, Elon Musk said in a letter that “unless a Model S owner actively tries to destroy a car, they are covered,” by the company’s warranty.
“Frankly disappointed that we have not been told why it happened and what Tesla is doing to make sure it doesn't happen again,” said Yogi. Liberty Mutual, Yogi’s insurance company, has taken over the investigation from San Ramon Valley Fire. The company declined to comment.
Batteries for the Chevy Bolt and the Hyundai Kona, two other electric car models, are also under recall said ABC 7. Last year, Chevrolet advised owners not to charge their vehicles overnight or keep their fully charged vehicles in garages, according to the Washington Post.
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