Faraday’s future electric SUV sparked a fire early Sunday morning at the startup’s Los Angeles headquarters, leading to an explosion that exploded parts of the wall, the fire department told TechCrunch.
The fire disappeared in 40 minutes and no injuries were reported. Damage to the building – the two-storey structure next to most of the headquarters (see above) is small – so serious that the city’s Buildings and Safety department “red tagged” and may require structural work before occupying it again.
“We were aware of a fire at the facility yesterday, and no FF staff were injured and no evacuation was required. We are currently investigating the specific causes and origin of the fire.”
Fires are at a troubling time for Faraday’s future. Because its continued presence at the headquarters that has been occupied for the last decade is uncertain.
The startup, which has been struggling financially for years, sold its headquarters in 2019 to generate cash and lease it ever since. The current owner, Rexford Industrial, called out Faraday’s future in February 2024, kicking out the startup with late payments. Both parties eventually settled in April 2024. At the time of that settlement, the lease expired at the end of September 2025.
When asked, Schilling said he was unsure of the current situation of Faraday Future’s lease. The property, including the main building and the main building where the fire occurred, is advertised as available for leases by commercial real estate company CBRE. Representatives from CBRE and Rexford did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The flame was first reported to the Los Angeles Fire Station (LAFD) at 4:37am on September 28th. LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey told TechCrunch that the 911 call came from an eyewitness. Sprinklers inside the building helped to keep the fire under control until the fire station arrived. According to photos seen by TechCrunch, the explosion created a large bulge on at least one wall.
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Once they arrived, firefighters had to force entry to fight the flames, Humphrey said. The fire completely disappeared at 5:17am.
The specific cause and origin of the FF91 SUV fire has not yet been determined, Humphrey said fire department investigators had not identified “human factors.” The FF91 SUV was on display in the office space.
After the fire was resolved, an inspector from the Los Angeles Construction Bureau evaluated the structure and determined it was not suitable for occupancy.
Faraday Future first unveiled the FF91 SUV in 2017. At the time it was billed as an ultra-luxurious electric vehicle in the industry’s leading range. However, the company encountered repeated financial crisis and began building its first several production SUVs in 2023.
Since then, the company has provided dozens of FF91s to celebrities and wealthy individuals, but Faraday’s future has been accused of misrepresenting their sales by employee whistleblowers.
The company is currently promoting more affordable electric vans that appear to be importing from China, and is also spinning a crypto-centric business. Earlier this year, the Securities and Exchange Commission sent a so-called “Wells Notice” to Faraday Future and its founder, Jia Yueting.
