This information is preliminary and subject to change. Release Date 12 September 2024
On Monday, August 19, 2024, about 3:13 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, a 2024 Tesla Semi, a battery-electric truck-tractor, was involved in a single-vehicle crash while traveling east on Interstate 80 (I-80) near Emigrant Gap in Placer County, California. The vehicle, operated by a Tesla, Inc. employee, was enroute from Livermore, California, to a Tesla facility in Sparks, Nevada.
The truck-tractor departed the roadway to the right while navigating a right-hand curve and uphill grade.[1] The vehicle struck a traffic delineator permanently mounted on a steel post, collided with a tree about 12.5 inches in diameter, and continued down an earthen slope to rest against several trees (figure 1). The vehicle’s lithium-ion electric battery system ignited after the roadway departure, resulting in a postcrash fire. The driver was uninjured. At this location, I-80 consists of two concrete travel lanes in each direction divided by a forested center median and paved shoulders. The maximum posted speed limit on I-80 was 65 mph (55 mph for commercial vehicles).
Responding to the scene were the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Tesla deployed a technical expert to the scene to assist in assessing high-voltage hazards and fire safety. Traffic on I-80 was diverted as emergency responders worked to control the fire, using about 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish the flames and cool the vehicle’s batteries. Air quality measurements were conducted, and a thermal scanner monitored the batteries’ temperature. Additionally, CAL FIRE used an aircraft to apply fire retardant to the immediate area as a precautionary measure
The westbound and eastbound lanes of I-80 remained closed for 14 and 15 hours, respectively, for firefighters to ensure the batteries were at a safe temperature for vehicle recovery operations and to prevent the spread of the fire to surrounding forested areas. The truck tractor was subsequently transported to an open-air facility and monitored for 24 hours. No reignition of the truck-tractor’s battery system was observed during this period.
Parties to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation include:
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- California Highway Patrol
- Tesla, Inc.
All aspects of the crash remain under investigation while the NTSB determines the probable cause, with the intent of issuing safety recommendations to prevent similar events.
[1]While the Tesla Semi was equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), ADAS was not operational on the vehicle and could not be engaged at the time of the crash.
