14 DAY TRIAL // Teslas are now believed to be a bit less reliable after a video of an expensive Model S catching on fire hit the web.
A Tesla electric car is seen bursting into flames in the clip posted above, which has rocketed uploader Aj Gill over the 250,000 view mark.
The shares of Tesla Motors Inc. dropped by 6 percent yesterday, as the clip went viral. After investigating the source of the fire, the company has come up with an explanation.
According to the AP, the fire started in the vehicle's 85 kilowatt-hour battery. Tesla uses a lithium-ion compound in its batteries, which are located under the passenger compartments.
This type of battery, which is also used in laptops, has caused problems before with the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid and Boeing 787s.
Apparently, the driver of the Tesla smelled smoke, then saw the car ignite, just moments after. The incident took place in the Kent suburb of Seattle. Firefighters used a dry chemical extinguisher to put out the blaze, as water only made things worse.