If you drove through the East Bay area of California on Tuesday night, you probably got caught in a nightmare. A Tesla Semi traveling down Interstate 880 in Hayward caught fire during the evening commute. There was no crash, no multi-vehicle pileup, and no obvious collision. The driver noticed something was wrong, pulled over near Highway 92, and got out unharmed.

Then the lithium-ion pack did what high-energy battery chemistry does when it gets pushed past its thermal limits… By the time crews finished foaming down the wreckage, all that remained of the tractor was its rear axles and a pile of ash.

The California Highway Patrol shut down both directions of the freeway out of concern over toxic chemical smoke. Northbound lanes eventually opened back up, but southbound lanes stayed closed for nearly ten hours while fire crews managed the blaze and let the pack burn itself out. When the sun came up, all that remained of the tractor was its rear axles and a pile of ash.

This is the second time in just over two years that a single Tesla Semi has shut down a major California highway for half a day. Back in August 2024, a Tesla-operated Semi drifted off Interstate 80 near Emigrant Gap, hit a tree, and caught fire. It took 50,000 gallons of water, air drops from Cal Fire, and a 15-hour closure to clear the road.

Whenever this happens, the anti-EV crowd immediately pounces and claims electric trucks are rolling time bombs.

Source link