In a very unfortunate turn of events, over 30 Tesla Roadster models were turned to ash by a merciless fire started at the Gruber Motors headquarters. The news first started popping up on Twitter over the weekend and today it was confirmed by the company, via a Youtube video.
According to the CEO of the company, Pete Gruber, the unfortunate event took place on the night of October 16. For now, the official cause of the fire is unknown but all signs seem to point to an electrical panel. The Gruber also said that the blaze happened in the company’s ‘main work in process Service Center’, one of the three buildings making up the facilities in Phoenix, Arizona.
The CEO also issued a statement on Facebook, saying that, breaking the unfortunate news to the owners of these cars proved to him, once again, just how cherished the first-generation Roadsters are. He also said that the cause of the fire will be investigated thoroughly and those responsible will eventually pay. Of course, the building and everything inside was insured but nevertheless, such events need to be avoided at all costs, and knowing the cause could help on the long run.
According to the company’s official response, Pete Gruber was also personally affected, three of his cars being destroyed in the incident as well. As the footage below shows, this kind of fire is quite different from a normal one because of the lithium-ion batteries. Putting it out is also a trickier ordeal, as the fire department needs to take extra precautions. What’s even more unfortunate is that this is not the first time Gruber Motors had to deal with such a problem, a similar fire taking place in 2017.
Pete Gruber and Gruber Motors have built a name for themselves over the years, by repairing older Tesla Roadster models, who are notorious for their bricked battery packs.
