Explosion, vehicle fire rock Faraday Future’s LA headquarters

Summary

A Faraday Future electric SUV caught fire at the startup’s Los Angeles headquarters early Sunday morning, leading to an explosion that blew out part of a wall, the fire department told TechCrunch. The fire was extinguished in 40 minutes, and no injuries were reported. Damage to the building — a smaller two-story structure next to the larger portion of the headquarters (pictured above) — was severe enough that the city’s Department of Building and Safety has “red tagged” it, meaning it may need structural work before it can be occupied again. “We are aware of a fire at our facility yesterday, there were no injuries to FF staff, and no evacuation was required, and the specific cause and origin of the fire is under investigation,” John Schilling, Faraday Future’s communications director, wrote in an email to TechCrunch. The fire comes at an awkward time for Faraday Future because its continued presence at the headquarters — which it has occupied for a decade — is uncertain. The startup, which has struggled financially for years, sold the headquarters in 2019 to generate cash and has leased it ever since. Current owner Rexford Industrial sued Faraday Future in February 2024 in an attempt to evict the startup over late payments. The two sides ultimately settled in April 2024. At the time of that settlement, the lease was set to expire at the end of September 2025. Schilling, when asked, said he was unsure of the current status of Faraday Future’s lease. The property, including the main building and the one where the fire occurred, is being advertised as available for lease by commercial real estate company CBRE. Representatives for CBRE and Rexford did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The blaze was first reported to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) at 4:37 a.m. local time on September 28. LAFD spokesperson Brian Humphrey told TechCrunch the 911 call came from an eye witness. Sprinklers in the building helped keep the fire in check until the fire dep...