Canada investigates after Tesla catches fire, forcing driver to ‘smash the window’

Video shows incident in which driver says he had to kick his way out because the doors and windows wouldn’t open

Canadian authorities are investigating an incident in which a Tesla caught fire in Vancouver, reportedly forcing the driver to smash his way out of the vehicle, Qazet.az reports according to TheGuardian.

Transport Canada, the Canadian auto safety agency, said in a statement on Friday that it had learned of the incident in Vancouver on 23 May and that it had “notified Tesla and is currently making arrangements for a joint inspection of the vehicle in an effort to determine the cause of the fire”.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told Reuters on Thursday it “is aware of the incident and has reached out to the manufacturer for information”.

Video posted on the website Electrek shows smoke emerging from the vehicle for several minutes before the inside of the vehicle eventually catches on fire. According to the website, the driver said that to get out he “had to smash the window”, adding: 

“I kicked through the window because everything stops. The power didn’t work. The door didn’t open. The windows didn’t go down.”