- A red Tesla Model X was set on fire in the early hours of January 20.
- While firefighters extinguished the blaze, the EV has been destroyed.
Electric vehicles often face unfair scrutiny for fire incidents, fueled by a handful of high-profile cases. Despite data showing EVs are actually less prone to spontaneous combustion than gas-powered or hybrid models, public perception can be hard to shake. That said, police and firefighters in Salem, Oregon, aren’t blaming faulty engineering for the fiery demise of a red Model X outside a local Tesla dealership. Instead, they believe it was the result of an arson attack.
Authorities were alerted to the fire at a Tesla store at approximately 3:45 a.m. on the morning of January 20. While they were able to extinguish the burning Model X, they were not able to save it from total destruction.
Read: Cybertruck Went Up In Flames At Tesla Dealership In Georgia Hours Before Vegas Blast
It’s unclear where the blaze started, but an image shared online by Salem police shows that much of the Model X’s rear end has melted and the rear window has shattered. There’s no word on whether the Tesla’s battery pack also caught fire or not.
The police suspects that this was a case of arson as the glass front door of the Tesla store was also smashed out. There’s a good chance the store was equipped with plenty of surveillance cameras, and any evidence will be used to identify and catch the perpetrators.
The Salem Police Felony Crimes Unit has been tasked with investigating the inferno and is asking anyone with information about the case to contact the Salem Police Tip Line at 503-588-8477.
This isn’t the only Tesla to meet a fiery fate in recent weeks. On December 31, a Tesla Cybertruck parked at a dealership in Georgia caught fire in the early hours of the morning. In that case, authorities suspect the blaze originated in the vehicle’s battery pack, although investigations are ongoing.
