Watch the Jaws of Life tear apart a Tesla Model S

Wed, 06 Mar 2013

As electric vehicles become more prevalent on the roadways, first responders are facing new – and sometimes unknown – challenges when it comes to intense tasks such as the extrication of passengers trapped inside a car. Advanced Extrication, an online training resource for rescue workers, recently posted a video showing how rescuers should respond to vehicles like the Tesla Model S.

The best way to do such a video, of course, is to actually demonstrate the process, so Tesla donated a new Model S just so the Fremont Fire Department could tear it to shreds as the host explains some of the unique dangers specific to electric cars. The unfortunate demo car looks like it just came off the assembly line, meaning it is completely intact to begin with, but we wonder if it would have been more interesting to see how firefighters deal with the car's wiring and DC-DC converter (and other high voltage components) when the vehicle structure has been compromised.

Either way, the entire 37-minute video (posted below) goes in depth showing what rescuers face as they deal with a growing number of EVs. Of course, if all you want to see is the business end of the Jaws of Life going to town on the Model S' subframe, you should skip to the 27-minute mark.

By Jeffrey N. Ross