Tesla Semi catches fire on I-880

A Tesla Semi caught fire on southbound I-880 in Hayward, California, around 5:35 p.m. Tuesday, with no crash or other vehicles involved. The driver escaped unharmed and told officers they did not know what caused the blaze. Authorities closed both directions of the freeway over concerns about hazardous smoke; northbound lanes reopened that night, while southbound lanes remained shut until about 3:30 a.m. Firefighters used foam on the burned truck, and the trailer behind it was also charred. Although officials initially warned the battery might burn for 15 to 18 hours, the fire was contained sooner. The cause remains under investigation, and neither the truck’s operator nor Tesla has been identified or publicly commented on.

The incident is the second Tesla Semi fire to close a California interstate in roughly two years. A 2024 fire followed a crash, but the Hayward truck reportedly caught fire without one, raising questions about whether the cause was the battery, high-voltage system, drive units, or a conventional fault such as a tire or brake fire. Large-truck fires are common overall, and gasoline vehicles catch fire more often than EVs, but the Semi fleet is still small: volume production began only this year, as Tesla builds toward major orders. The central concern is therefore what the investigation finds. If the battery ignited spontaneously, Tesla must address the risk before the fleet grows; the National Transportation Safety Board should investigate, and Tesla should disclose the findings.