A Tesla Model S Plaid in flames in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. AFP

Gulf Today Report

A new Tesla Model S Plaid car caught fire in the US state of Pennsylvania, on Tuesday with its driver having difficulty getting out of it, authorities and the driver's lawyers announced.

The accident occurred in Haverford, near Philadelphia, according to a statement issued by Lower Merrion firefighting teams on Friday.

The firefighting team sprayed water on the vehicle for more than two hours in order to put out the fire.

Mark Giragos of the legal firm "Geragos & Geragos" representing the driver said what happened was frightening and it is due to a big problem.  An investigation has been launched.

“We are asking Tesla to put these cars aside until a full investigation is conducted.” The electric car manufacturer on June 10 delivered the first models of the new luxury model with greater speed, S Plaid.

The car, equipped with a 1020-horsepower engine, has a speed of 320 kilometres/hour, with the ability to move from zero to 100 kilometres in two seconds.

The car costs $129,990.

A spokesperson for the US National Traffic Safety Authority affirmed that they know about the accident and they are in contact with relevant agencies and the manufacturer to gather more information.