Tesla Model S Plaid caught fire while owner was driving, lawyer says

A Tesla Model S Plaid electric vehicle burst into flames on Tuesday while the owner was driving, just three days after the $129,900, top-of-the-range car was delivered following its June launch, an attorney for the driver told Reuters.

The driver noted smoke coming out of the back of the vehicle, then was initially not able to get out of the car because its electronic door system failed, prompting the driver to "use force to push it open," Mark Geragos, of Geragos & Geragos, said on Friday. 

The car continued to move for about 35 feet to 40 feet (11 to 12 meters) before turning into a "fireball" in a residential area near the owner's Haverford, Pennsylvania, home.

"It was a harrowing and horrifying experience," Geragos said.

"This is a brand new model. ... We are doing an investigation. We are calling for the S Plaid to be grounded, not to be on the road until we get to the bottom of this," he said.

Geragos identified the driver only as an "executive entrepreneur," but CNBC said he is also being represented by Jason Setchen of Athlete Defender in Miami, indicating that the owner may be a professional athlete.

Tesla did not have an immediate comment when contacted by Reuters.

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk touted the performance version of its Model S sedan as being "faster than any Porsche, safer than any Volvo" at a launch event at the automaker's factory in Fremont, California, last month.

Earlier in April, he said the new Model S sedan and Model X sport utility vehicle had a new battery pack.

"It took quite a bit of development to ensure that the battery of the new S/X is safe," Musk said on a conference call, addressing production delays. "There were more challenges than expected in developing the new version."

Local fire authorities in a now-deleted Facebook post said "a Tesla was on fire" and that they cooled "the batteries down to ensure complete extinguishment."

The chief of Lower Merion Township Fire Department confirmed to CNBC that a 2021 Model S Plaid caught fire Tuesday night. Chief Fire Officer Charles McGarvey said crews were on scene for more than three hours dealing with fire.

EV battery fires are notorious for being difficult to fight. In past Tesla fires, the cars have taken hours to extinguish and have often reignited hours or days later. Firefighters removed the Tesla to safe storage, McGarvey said, then the owner had it removed from that location to have the fire's cause independently investigated.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it is "in touch with relevant agencies and the manufacturer to gather information about the incident."

"If data or investigations show a defect or an inherent risk to safety exists, NHTSA will take action as appropriate to protect the public," the federal safety agency said.