NARROW ESCAPE

Man Says His Brand New Tesla Erupted in Flames Then Locked Him Inside

The unidentified man says he took delivery of his swanky new car earlier this week.

A man who took delivery of his shiny new Tesla Model S Plaid on Monday said it erupted in flames on Tuesday and briefly locked him inside. Attorneys for the unidentified man said he was driving on a road outside Philadelphia when he noticed that something was very wrong. “He’s in the car, he smells and sees the smoke, turns around and sees the smoke is filling up the cabin, then flames, and reacts almost immediately,” lawyer Mark Geragos told The Washington Post. “Once he saw the fire shoot out of the back, that’s when he immediately pulled over to try to exit the vehicle,” said the man’s other lawyer, Jason Setchen. “He tried to get out of the vehicle; he was pushing the door frantically and it would not engage.” The lawyers said the door finally opened when the man put his full weight on it. Gladwyne Fire Department confirmed to CNBC that a 2021 Model S Plaid caught fire on Tuesday night. Tesla has, so far, not commented.