In Los Angeles, burning Teslas add to toxic mix of pollution delaying return of fire evacuees

As the smoke clears from devastating Los Angeles wildfires, efforts to clean up the affected areas are being complicated by burnt-out electric and hybrid vehicles and home-battery storage systems.

Lithium batteries from Tesla Inc, along with those from other carmakers, have added to the mix of toxic materials requiring specialised removal in the wake of the fires. They will delay the fire victims’ return to their properties.

“A lot of the cars in the evacuation area were lithium batteries,” said Jacqui Irwin, a state assembly member representing the Pacific Palisades, one of the neighbourhoods hardest hit by the fires. “We’ve heard from firefighters that those lithium batteries burned fires near homes – like those with power walls – for much longer.”

The Los Angeles wildfires, which began January 7, have taken at least 27 lives and destroyed thousands of homes. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has already allocated US$100 million to the clean-up efforts.

There were over 431,000 Teslas in operation in the Los Angeles area as of October 2024, according to data from S&P Global Mobility. Based on new registrations, their market share locally was three times that of the rest of the nation. The Tesla Model Y was the biggest-selling vehicle in the state through September, according to the California New Car Dealers Association.