A Prototype Detonated Within Faraday Future's Headquarters, Resulting in the LA Building Being Condemned | Carscoops

      An early prototype of the Faraday Future FF91 caught fire at the company's headquarters in Los Angeles.

      Firefighters worked for 40 minutes to extinguish the flames before the building was deemed unsafe for occupancy.

      Faraday asserts that the battery was not the cause, attributing the incident to wiring issues or a short circuit in the 12-volt system.

      Faraday Future is making headlines again, though not for favorable reasons. In the early hours of September 28, a prototype FF91 ignited at the company's headquarters. Thankfully, there were no injuries, but the building has now been restricted for employees.

      The Los Angeles Fire Department received a call regarding the fire at 4:37 a.m. and was able to bring it under control in about 40 minutes, according to TechCrunch. Sprinklers in the building helped mitigate the fire's spread, but there was an explosion that damaged part of a wall. Firefighters had to force their way inside, and once the flames were out, the property was red-tagged by inspectors.

      Prototype Goes Up in Flames

      In response to the incident, the company quickly released a statement to alleviate concerns. They emphasized that the battery pack was not involved and noted that the vehicle was an older prototype.

      Referred to internally as B40, the vehicle is approximately nine years old, and the company stated that "its interior materials do not meet the flammability standards of production vehicles. This beta prototype is fundamentally different from the FF 91 production models, and we believe this incident will not lead to any recalls of production vehicles."

      The company plans to conduct a thorough investigation, and at this point, they believe the fire was caused by a short circuit in the showroom's wiring or a loose connection in the vehicle’s 12-volt system.

      Not the First Incident

      This is not the first time Faraday Future has dealt with a fire involving one of its test vehicles. In 2022, another prototype reportedly caught fire, though details about that incident were limited, with only a few photos circulating. Each occurrence raises new concerns for a company already seeking stability.

      The recent fire comes at a particularly challenging time for the struggling company.

      Statement on Fire Incident at Faraday Future Satellite Office Building

      In the early morning of Sunday, September 28 (PST), a fire broke out at FF’s satellite office building at our U.S. headquarters. The company considers this matter very seriously and wishes to provide—

      After the FF91 was deemed unsuccessful, Faraday Future has been working on plans to federalize and sell a Chinese-manufactured van featuring a digital display. Recently, it has faced criticism over a controversial pivot toward cryptocurrency and for allegedly missing payments for the property where the fire took place, as the lease expired at the end of September.

      While the company claims the fire poses no danger to production vehicles, it certainly does little to rebuild trust or confidence among owners, landlords, and shareholders.