[embro]

I don't think it would have changed the outcome. From the pictures I saw, the speed must have been very high.

Now to answer your question, in a car accident, yes fire does play a big role since it doesn't take much to light up gas. On top of that gas gets everywhere inside the car. For this reason, I would prefer to crash in an electric car if I had to.

As for the Tesla S, it is one amazing car, maybe the best car ever built like some said. The price makes it a niche product that most of us cannot afford.

I'm not worried about the "fire cases" since they were all caused by collisions. My dad used to work for a tow company and car fires happens all the time and we rarely hear about it. Media focused on the Tesla fires just because it is electric and maybe because it is Tesla.

[fayyazkl]

Okay, when i read the news i was thinking like, may be if he (driver) was slower and still caught fire, they might have been saved in a Tesla due to better fire prevention. The pictures show wreckage in a poor shape so its hard to realize whether the state was achieved mainly due to impact OR fire. I also read some where they people risked their lives trying to take them out. This makes me think whether it was possible to survive (or at least get to hospital alive) if there was controlled fire at least as expected some what with a Tesla. Of course disregarding its cost, but then it really makes it worth the cost if you are relatively safer.

[embro]

It is right that they can control the fire by discharging the battery cells before fire reach it. Insulation can also be placed between cells.

One thing is sure, battery overall safety can be improved while gas, you are being limited to what you can do.