Tesla S catches fire in Valencia after flooding, forum claims

Submerged Tesla S causes fire destroying two homes, according to forum

Can an electric car submerged in fresh water become an incendiary bomb capable of wiping out two houses and several vehicles? That is what a forum user claims based on images aired on television: a Tesla Model S that had been submerged under 1.2 meters of water caught fire, causing a blaze that destroyed two homes and between four and five vehicles, including the owner's work van. The broadcast did not mention the vehicle's make or model. The incident has reignited debate about the safety of lithium batteries in flood situations.

According to that same account, the vehicle's owner, far from the millionaire profile sometimes associated with the brand, would have bought the used Tesla S which was several years old. The battery reportedly failed to withstand immersion in fresh water and self-immolated, taking everything in its path with it. What stands out in this case, always according to that version, is that a forty-year-old Mercedes, subjected to much more severe immersion, started without problems after being dried out.

The silent danger of flooded lithium batteries

In the United States, some call submerged electric cars "time bombs." Cases have been documented of Teslas spontaneously catching fire days after a flood, even when they appeared dry and powered off. The problem is not surface moisture, but water contact with lithium cells, which can cause internal short circuits and uncontrolled thermal reactions.

The chemistry of lithium batteries is inherently unstable in the presence of water. Alkali metals like lithium react violently upon contact with humidity, releasing hydrogen and heat. If there is also prior structural damage, the risk multiplies. Some point out that shipping companies are already refusing to transport large quantities of lithium batteries, aware that a single incident at sea can trigger an uncontrollable fire.

Hybrids and mild hybrids: lower-risk alternatives

Not all electrified vehicles present the same danger. Conventional hybrids, especially older ones using nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, employ chemistries more stable than those of pure electrics. However, modern hybrids are also migrating to lithium, reducing that advantage. In any case, the combination of a combustion engine and a large battery remains complex and adds weight and failure points.

For those seeking an ECO label without compromising safety, some point to mild hybrids (MHEV) or LPG conversion. LPG allows obtaining the label without the complications of a high-capacity battery, although continuous use is not free of drawbacks for the engine. CNG, for its part, has fallen out of favor due to the limited range provided by compressed gas tanks.

The Cybertruck case: three dead in post-accident fire

Controversy over electric vehicle safety is not limited to floods. According to a story circulated on forums, a group of young people traveling in a Cybertruck in California suffered an accident. The impact was not particularly severe, but the vehicle caught fire and three occupants died from burns. The fourth was rescued before flames consumed him. It is speculated that the occupants, allegedly under the influence of alcohol and cocaine, relied on the driving assistance system and returned home "protected" by technology, with fatal results.

The episode adds fuel to the debate on whether ADAS systems create a false sense of security. The paradox, according to that version, is that a car without electronic aids might have deterred those drivers from getting behind the wheel in such conditions. Technology, in this case, did not save lives: it complicated them.

The paradox of electric mobility in flood-prone areas

While internal combustion vehicles demonstrate surprising resistance to water — cleaning injectors and filters is often enough to get them running again — electric vehicles become a latent risk after a flood. In Picanya, a Tesla parked on the street remained intact during vehicle removal operations: neither tow truck operators nor flatbed drivers wanted to touch it. The antiestéticar of it catching fire during handling was too great.

The conclusion, for those holding this view, is uncomfortable: in flood-prone areas, electric mobility introduces a risk factor that did not exist before. It is not just about losing the car, but about that car potentially destroying your home and your neighbors'. The anecdote of the forty-year-old Mercedes starting after immersion while the Tesla S turned into a torch is, for them, the perfect summary of this absurdity. Welcome to the 21st century.