Plugging Your Tesla Directly Into A Power Line Is Not The Charging Shortcut You Think It Is

Not a charging port. Photo: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group (Getty Images)

The owner of a Tesla Model 3 attempted to charge their car by plugging it directly into a power line in Mexico. The charge went about as well as you’d expect, with the car bursting into flames that spread to a nearby house after it was connected to the illegal hookup.

Tesla Had A Very Interesting Week

The Tesla owner attempted to charge their Model 3 at an illegal electricity hookup mounted directly to a power line in the Mexican border city of Tijuana, reports AP News. Once plugged in, the car reportedly started smoldering before it caught fire and burned completely:

Not only did the Tesla eventually burst into flames, the blaze was so hot it set a neighboring house on fire.

Rafael Carrillo, Tijuana’s fire chief, said Tuesday that electric car fires are a problem for the city’s firefighters. He said the partially charred hulk of the Tesla might take a couple of days to burn out completely and probably couldn’t be moved until then. He said firefighters built dirt berms around the car to keep it covered in water.

The car, which reportedly had California plates fitted, set fire to a neighboring house, which ABC News reports was unoccupied at the time of the blaze. No injuries were reported as a result of the fire.

Plugging cars and other appliances into power lines isn’t a new thing in Tijuana, according to ABC News. In fact, it’s a way for many residents to access free electricity to power their homes. As ABC News adds:

Illicit electricity connections are a common problem in Tijuana and many other cities in Mexico. Residents get free electricity by hooking a wire directly to overhead power lines, or ripping out an electrical meter and splicing into open feeder lines. The voltage and other characteristics of illegal hookups can vary widely, creating potentially hazardous conditions.

Electric vehicle fires are proving to be a problem for firefighters around the world. After an EV reportedly sparked a huge blaze onboard a cargo ship last year, firefighters have increasingly warned that services may not be prepared to deal with the onslaught of EV fires that could one day hit.