this post was submitted on 01 Jan 2025
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Tesla

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Discussion of Tesla, Inc

About Tesla

Tesla Inc. (formerly Tesla Motors) is an energy + technology company originally from California and currently headquartered in Austin, Texas.

They produce electric vehicles (with a heavy focus on autonomy), batteries, and energy/solar products for the grid.

Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.

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[–] disguy_ovahea 10 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (3 children)

That’s the first video I’ve seen. It looks almost like fireworks. I’ve only seen smaller batteries explode, but it doesn’t look like this.

[–] ch00f 7 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (3 children)

That is absolutely not how batteries burn. They offgas hydrogen and that ignites. Like this: https://youtu.be/AWi7AeZaNcI?si=Tl9BGaDbdTOmkvKH

It’s less of an explosion and more of a fast burning flame.

Another example: https://youtu.be/T71cVhxG_v4?si=rawvoZvZxmAPrIxn

Another: https://youtu.be/N98VFQGsxIc?si=OPXGyb7M5GWADfIg

This truck looks like it was blown up.

[–] Eheran 3 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Hydrogen? It's evaporated solvents.

[–] ch00f 2 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (1 children)

Well I stand corrected. I was always told it was hydrogen gas. Looks like that’s a myth propagated by earlier open-cell varieties that would vent hydrogen during normal operation.

What I do know from experience is that the gases smell like toothpaste. At least in the smaller lipo jelly roll packs

[–] Eheran 2 points 4 weeks ago

It used to be hydrogen when charging lead acid batteries, for example. NiMH also produces hydrogen once they are full, but that is internally converted back to water via a catalyst (hence they can be charged at 1/10 forever with only getting warm).

Not sure which chemistry would produce hydrogen during a thermal runaway event.

[–] disguy_ovahea 2 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

That’s how I expected it to look, like a scaled up laptop battery fire.

What do you think those rocket-like projectiles are in the posted video? They honestly look like fireworks, like jumping jacks or helicopters.

[–] ch00f 6 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

The updated version of the article says it might just be fireworks. It’s Las Vegas and New Years. Not to mention there’s probably a decent intersection between Cybertruck owners and illegal fireworks enthusiasts.

[–] halcyoncmdr 1 points 4 weeks ago

intersection between Cybertruck owners and illegal fireworks enthusiasts.

Well that's not much of a venn diagram then, just a circle of the entire population with a smaller circle of Cybertruck owners. Because those are the best fireworks.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago

Lead acid batteries can off-gas hydrogen.
Not sure exactly what liion batteries create other than 'vapor'. It certainly can explode in a similar way.
https://www.evfiresafe.com/ is a good resource on ev fire behaviour.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

It looks almost like fireworks

Happy New Year festivities gone wrong?

[–] Arbiter 2 points 4 weeks ago

Sure looks like it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago

That’s the first video I’ve seen. It looks almost like fireworks.

That's because it is. Someone stuffed their Trunk full of Fireworks and set them off.