Metal piercing battery caused Tesla fire October 7, 2013 - 12:03PM The chief executive of electric car company Tesla says a battery in a Model S that caught fire this week was apparently impaled by a metal object. Elon Musk gave more detail in a blog post about the fire that became an internet sensation and unsettled Tesla investors. He also defended the car's battery technology. Musk wrote in a blog post that fires are more common in conventional gas-powered vehicles. "For consumers concerned about fire risk, there should be absolutely zero doubt that it is safer to power a car with a battery than a large tank of highly flammable liquid," Musk wrote. The CEO said a curved metal component was apparently the culprit in causing a Tesla to catch on fire last Tuesday. He says the object's shape led to a powerful hit on the underside of the vehicle, punching a 7.5cm hole through an armour plate that protects the car's bottom. The company said the car properly contained the blaze. The driver was able to exit the highway in the Seattle suburb of Kent before flames engulfed the front of the vehicle. Firefighters struggled to extinguish the Tesla fire, finding that the flames reignited. Crews found that water seemed to intensify the fire, so they began using a dry chemical extinguisher. After dismantling the front end of the vehicle and puncturing holes in the battery pack, responders used a circular saw to cut an access hole in the front section to apply water to the battery, according to documents. Only then was the fire extinguished.