A Tesla owner in Mexico made a fiery mistake on Tuesday when they plugged their Tesla directly into a power line.
The consequences for the irresponsible action extended beyond solely the damage done to the car, which had California plates.
Illegal Hookup
Illegal siphoning of power directly from the grid is reportedly a common issue in Mexico, with residents taking the risk to avoid paying electricity fees.
However, the consequences for such an action are rarely as severe as they were in this case.
Not So Innovative Energy Solution
The Tijuana resident, in looking to cut the running costs of his Tesla, had the bright idea to use energy directly from a federal power line.
However, the action turned out to be not as clever as they may have thought, with the car subsequently bursting into flames.
Illegal Hookups Costly
Due to the widespread nature of illegal hook-ups in Mexico, the cost to the Federal Electricity Commission is estimated to be substantial.
In total, according to the government in 2021, the Federal Electricity Commission lost the equivalent of $2.5 million worth of energy to these illegal siphons.
Double Danger
Illegal hookups are not only expensive, but can also be dangerous. Electric vehicle (EV) fires, too, carry risks beyond that of a typical fire.
In hooking up his EV directly to the power grid, the Tijuana Tesla owner managed to combine and multiply the risks of each of these actions.
Fire Spread
When the firefighters arrived at the scene of the fire and attempted to put out the fire, they realized that the Tesla was hooked up to the main power lines.
The fire, which had started with the car, had also spread and caused damage to a nearby house.
Novel Experience
This was a novel experience for the Tijuana Fire Department, who had not yet experienced this type of fire.
Arturo Sánchez, a coordinator at the department, said: “This is something unusual that we are experiencing for the first time — seeing a Tesla on fire.”
EV Fire Danger
EV fires are dangerous in large part due to their persistence. EV fires can last for days due to their large lithium batteries.
They also require a large amount of water to douse them, and the local fire department believe the Tesla will remain burning for a couple more days.
No Injuries
Thankfully, no injuries or fatalities have been reported as a result of the electrical fire.
This may be in part due to the fire department’s recent training on EV fires, despite their lack of prior experience up to this point.
Lesson Hopefully Learned
The Tesla owner has likely learned his lesson regarding hooking Tesla’s up to a power supply with the incorrect voltage.
But the incident can hopefully serve as a warning to EV drivers more generally, who should be careful not to charge their cars at unofficial charging points.
