National Transportation Safety Board investigating Tesla crash in California

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation into a crash and fire involving a Tesla electric semi-truck on a California highway, the agency said late Wednesday.

The NTSB will carry out the safety investigation along with the California Highway Patrol authority, it said in a post on social media platform X.

The NTSB, in coordination with the California Highway Patrol, has opened a safety investigation into the August 19th crash and fire involving a Tesla electric powered truck tractor on Interstate 80 near Emigrant Gap, California.

— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) August 22, 2024

The electric vehicle (EV) maker and the California Highway Patrol did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

A Tesla electric semi-truck crashed near Emigrant Cap in northern California late on Monday night after it caught fire, closing off a highway for more than half a day, local media reports said, adding that no injuries were reported.

Auto experts say EV fires burn differently than those in cars with internal combustion engines, often lasting longer and are harder to extinguish as they have a tendency to reignite.