Porsche confirmed Tuesday morning that a customer’s Taycan electric vehicle was involved in a fire that ruined the car as well as the garage it was parked in. The German automaker is currently investigating the situation after being made aware of it Sunday afternoon.
“On Sunday, 16th February we were made aware of an incident at a residential address in Florida where one of our cars was parked overnight,” a Porsche spokesperson explained in a statement to The Verge. “We are investigating and we remain ready to assist if called upon. No one was harmed in this incident, and it’s too early to speculate on the cause until the investigation has concluded.”
The topic of electric cars catching fire is hotly debated across social channels, such as when a Tesla Model S was shown igniting on video while stationary in a Shanghai parking garage. However, there’s little evidence to support claims that EVs are any more likely to catch fire than internal combustion-engined cars, meaning the arguments are largely fueled by speculation.
This is the first report of a Taycan being involved in a fire, according to Porsche. Videos of the blaze’s aftermath were posted to social media and YouTube earlier this week, showing the charred Taycan as well as the torched building.
A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) representative was unavailable when reached for contact by Bloomberg. At this point, it’s unknown if the auto safety agency will investigate the case.
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