2021 Tesla Model S Plaid sedan caught in fire spontaneously while driver in.

 A 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid sedan caught fire Tuesday night in Haverford, Pennsylvania, while the owner was at the wheel, consistent with Charles McGarvey, chief fire officer for the Lower Merion Township local department .

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Tesla began deliveries of the Model S Plaid, a replacement high-performance version of its flagship electric sedan, in June, after CEO Elon Musk had said on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast that they might begin in February.

Musk explained in April that development involved “more challenges than expected” and added, “it took quite little bit of development to make sure that the battery of the new S and X is safe.”

The car owner’s attorneys told CNBC that he noticed smoke coming from the rear of his 2021 Model S Plaid and tried to unlock and open the doors but had to force his answer of the vehicle, because the locks appeared to malfunction. After he left the car, it began to maneuver on its own and flames engulfed it.

The owner, whose identity has not been disclosed, is being represented by Mark Geragos of Geragos & Geragos in l. a. , and Jason Setchen of Athlete Defender in Miami.

Two crews of firefighters worked on the scene for just over 3 hours handling the emergency, McGarvey told CNBC.

As NBC News recently reported, electric vehicle battery fires can take upwards of 25,000 gallons of water to be fully extinguished. By comparison, a typical car fire involving an indoor combustion engine are often put out with around 300 gallons of water.

Firefighters removed the 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid to a posh to securely store it overnight, McGarvey said. The owner since had the car faraway from that facility, McGarvey said, and can have the vehicle investigated independently to undertake to work out the explanation for the hearth . McGarvey said his teams had been in-tuned with Tesla and will release more information via public records soon.

A spokesperson for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told CNBC it's conscious of the Tesla vehicle fire in Pennsylvania and is in-tuned with relevant agencies and therefore the manufacturer to collect more information about the incident. “If data or investigations show a defect or an inherent risk to safety exists, NHTSA will take action as appropriate to guard the general public ,” the spokesperson said.

Another federal vehicle safety watchdog, the National Transportation Safety Board, isn't conducting an investigation, it told CNBC.

Tesla is predicted to disclose what percentage vehicles it produced and delivered half-moon in coming days. it's not yet said what percentage new Model S or Model S Plaid cars it's delivered to customers.