NTSB investigates Tesla semi-trailer crash in Northern California

The National Transportation Safety Board is working with the California Highway Patrol to investigate a crash involving a Tesla semi-truck in Northern California on Monday. The crash involving the Tesla semi-truck triggered a hazardous materials incident after the battery caught fire, sparking a large fire that emitted toxic fumes, authorities said.

Interstate 80 near Colfax was closed in both directions after Tesla's electric semi-truck crashed into trees on the side of the road around 3:15 a.m. Monday, CHP said.

The Tesla Semi is a semi-trailer truck made by the tech giant. All Tesla Semis are equipped with autopilot features, but are currently operated with a driver in the seat.

Tesla Semis do not currently use the company's Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The large trucks have the hardware to support ADAS, but the company is still working on the software for the trucks, according to a report from Forbes.

A touchscreen tablet in a Tesla Semi-electric truck parked outside Frito-Lay's manufacturing facility in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. PepsiCo's Frito-Lay is replacing its diesel-powered freight equipment with zero-emissions (Benjamin Fanjoy/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

As of late 2023, Tesla Semis were not available to all consumers. The NTSB investigation could jeopardize Tesla's goals of expanding production and increasing the semi's consumption.

For a time, PepsiCo was the only known company operating Tesla Semis on U.S. roads. Tesla's vice president of vehicle engineering, Lars Moravy, and Tesla design chief Franz von Holzhausen discussed the plans for Tesla's Semi on an episode of Jay Leno's Garage in 2023.

“We have almost 100 semi-trailers in our fleet right now, and they're making that trip. Plus, we're working with Pepsi to understand the shelf life and get everything right so we can start mass production next year,” Moravy said.

The accident occurred shortly after the company announced partnerships with Costco, Sysco and US Foods. Motorists reportedly spotted the semi-trailers on California roads.

Only a few companies specializing in autonomous driving are allowed to operate large trucks on U.S. roads, including PlusAI and Aurora Innovation. The companies take different approaches: PlusAI operates a driver-in-system, while Aurora Innovation drives fully autonomously.

Tesla's Autopilot features have been criticized several times after being involved in several accidents investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The crash also comes as consumers have become more hesitant about autonomous driving technologies in general. A survey conducted by AAA in January found that a clear majority of American drivers — 66% — said they were afraid to ride in an autonomous vehicle.

For years, it looked like autonomous vehicles would initially be used as ride-hailing services in major cities. But General Motors' Cruise robotaxi division is in trouble after a serious accident. Alphabet's Waymo is facing resistance as it expands its autonomous ride-hailing service in California. The result is that self-driving trucks could become the first computer-controlled vehicles to be used in large numbers on public roads.

Safety experts are skeptical about these vehicles, warning that in the absence of federal regulations, it is largely up to the companies themselves to determine when the semi-trucks are safe enough to operate without people on board.

How did the Tesla saddle accident become a hazardous materials accident?

Interstate 80 near Colfax was closed in both directions after Tesla's electric semi-trailer truck crashed into trees on the side of the road around 3:15 a.m. Monday, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) said.

According to officials, the driver of the semi-trailer survived the scene of the accident and was taken to a hospital.

The Tesla's battery burned at around 1,000 degrees and firefighters used “thousands and thousands” of gallons of water to cool the wreckage, CHP officer Jason Lyman said said KCRA-TV.

Lyman said firefighters had to wait until the lithium-ion batteries were depleted, burned out and cooled to a temperature of 100 degrees. Toxic fumes from the battery could also pose a danger if inhaled, he said.

A plane crashed fire retardant in the area around the semi-trailer to prevent the flames from spreading to surrounding trees. Tesla also sent a hazardous materials team to the scene of the fire.

Lyman said that electric large trucks Fires are a “newer thing” and firefighters are still learning how to deal with them.

The Associated Press and Fox Business contributed to this report.