Last weekend it was reported by mainstream media outlets that a Tesla Supercharger caught fire at a convenience store in New Jersey. The Tesla hate was apparent as media and Tesla short sellers quickly picked up the story as a surefire sign (see what we did there?) of Tesla’s impending doom.
Now it appears that the fire had nothing to do with Tesla or the Supercharger, according to a report from Automotive News.
A clerk for the Parsippany-Troy Hills Fire Department District 5 has explained that no vehicles were involved in the fire, and neither were the Supercharging station. Instead, the fire originated from a separate onsite transformer that sends power to the charging stations.
“No vehicles were involved; it wasn’t the charging stations at all,” Palmeiri said. “It was a separate on-site transformer that sends power from JCP&L to the charging stations … Nothing to do really with the charging stations.”
Even if the Supercharger had caused the fire, it would still be a non-story. Over 5,000 gas station fires resulting in numerous deaths and injuries occur every year in the US, causing more than $20 million in property damage. One Supercharger fire, though nice for headlines, does not a story make.
