{"id":24467,"date":"2026-10-29T11:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T15:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/?p=24467"},"modified":"2026-10-29T07:51:57","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T11:51:57","slug":"tesla-semi-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/tesla-semi-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"A Tesla Semi Caught Fire, Shutting Down a California Highway. Are Electric Trucks Actually More Likely To Burst Into Flames?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just as Elon Musk predicted, the Tesla Semi is hot, hot, hot! But not in the way he meant back when he claimed the truck would “feel like a sports car” and have a 500-mile range on a single charge while carrying a heavy, fully loaded weight.<\/p>\n

Instead, a Tesla Semi burst into flames on a California highway.<\/p>\n

On the evening of Tuesday, October 27, a Tesla Semi traveling southbound on I-880 suddenly burst into flames. There was no crash. Instead, it likely started because of the truck’s battery.<\/p>\n

What exactly happened with the Tesla Semi?<\/h2>\n

This Semi was an early production truck that had been delivered to Frito-Lay. This was one of the companies that was given a Semi in 2023 to test its mileage, capability, and greenhouse gas reduction. This excited a lot of Tesla fans back in the day, largely because the semi truck was first revealed all the way back in 2017. This is basically par for the course for Tesla<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But okay, they got it. And to be fair to Tesla, those early Semis given to Pepsi and Frito-Lay were put to work. One of them logged 1,076 miles in a single day.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, one of them was engulfed in flames this week. The driver got away, but the Semi fire proved difficult to extinguish. It took the California Highway Patrol quite some time to put it out. Hazardous smoke then came from the rig for quite some time. The highway was closed.<\/p>\n

\"tesla
Image Credit: CHP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is actually the second time that a Tesla Semi has caught on fire. You could say that’s not a lot (and it’s not), but there aren’t many Semis on the road. This fire was also in California in 2024. The truck didn’t properly take a curve as it left the highway (so much for feeling like a sports car), and the driver struck a delineator post, then a tree. Like this time, the battery caught on fire, damaged in the crash. This time, it took 15 hours to put out the fire.<\/p>\n

This time, we don’t really know what made the battery catch fire. The driver told the CHP they had no clue what the hell happened. And to be honest, that’s a lot scarier. Do we really want these trucks bursting into flames on the road at random?<\/p>\n

Are electric trucks more dangerous?<\/h2>\n

We’ve talked about this before<\/a>, but it’s not actually true that EVs are more prone to fires than gas-powered vehicles. In fact, gas-powered cars are more likely to catch fire. What’s funny is that Kelley Blue Book<\/a> cites Tesla as one of the sources supporting this data, but also points out that Tesla exaggerates its information and claims.<\/p>\n

You’re laughing? They are sinking their Cybertrucks in the lake<\/a>, and you’re laughing!!?<\/p>\n

Even taking out Tesla’s random boasting, it’s still true that gas-powered cars catch fire more than EVs. However, EV fires are a lot more dangerous. That’s where the reputation comes from.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour big risk is the chemical reaction that\u2019s occurring if you have damaged cells. That chemical reaction, you\u2019re going to end up with thousands of degrees Fahrenheit,”\u00a0<\/em>CEO of the National Waste & Recycling Association, Michael E. Hoffman, told us earlier this year.<\/p>\n

And the Tesla Semi uses a larger battery than, say, your Rivian. The long-range version has a 22 kWh usable NCMA lithium-ion battery pack (built using 4680 cells). This weighs 10,000 pounds. For reference, that’s about four-and-a-half NA Mazda Miatas. A base model Ford F-150 can barely tow it, with a max capacity of 13,500. It’s a big battery.<\/p>\n

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\ud83d\udea8 TRAFFIC ALERT \u2013 I-880 FULL CLOSURE \ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n

A Tesla semi-truck has caught fire on I-880, resulting in a complete shutdown of both northbound and southbound lanes due to the potential risk of hazardous chemical smoke. https:\/\/t.co\/O01z32nxpZ<\/p>\n

\u2014 CHP Hayward (@CHPHayward) October 28, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n