Tesla top-of-range car caught fire while owner was driving, lawyer says

Tesla Inc's new Model S Plaid electric car is seen in flames in Pennsylvania, U.S., in this handout photo provided to Reuters on July 2, 2021. According to an attorney for the driver, the car went into flames while the owner was driving it on Tuesday, three days after it was delivered. Geragos & Geragos/Handout via REUTERS

BERKELEY, California (Reuters) - A Tesla Inc Model S Plaid electric vehicle burst into flames on Tuesday while the owner was driving, just three days after the $129,900, top-of-the-range car was delivered following its June launch, an attorney for the driver told Reuters.

The driver, identified as an "executive entrepreneur", was initially not able to get out of the car because its electronic door system failed, prompting the driver to "use force to push it open," Mark Geragos, of Geragos & Geragos, said on Friday.