Tesla car caught fire while owner was driving, claims lawyer

A Tesla Model S Plaid electric vehicle burst into flames on Tuesday while the owner was driving just three days after the model's launch, claimed an attorney for the driver.

According to the owner’s lawyer who spoke to Reuters, the top-of-the-range car, which costs $129,000, caught fire and the driver was initially unable to get out of the car because the electronic door system failed.

The driver, who was identified as an “executive entrepreneur”, had to “use force to push it open”, said the lawyer on Friday.

"This is a brand new model [...] We are doing an investigation. We are calling for the S Plaid to be grounded, not to be on the road until we get to the bottom of this," he added.

At a launch event at the automaker's factory in Fremont, California, last month, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said the Model S sedan was "faster than any Porsche, safer than any Volvo".

"It took quite a bit of development to ensure that the battery of the new S/X is safe," Musk added on a conference call recently. "There were more challenges than expected in developing the new version."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that it was "in touch with relevant agencies and the manufacturer to gather information about the incident."