Tesla Model S

(Tesla Motors)

DETROIT - A Tesla Model S spontaneously burst into flames Monday while on a test drive in France, according to French media reports.

The car was being driven by a couple and a representative of Tesla as part of an event hosted by the California electric carmaker. The Model S sedan was cruising on the boulevard d'Aritxague in Bayonne in the southwest of France when the incident occurred.

The driver of the car told French media outlet Sud Ouest that after a little acceleration there was a warning noise in the car, at which point the Tesla host told the driver to pull over so she could call Tesla about the issue before continuing the test drive.

The trio then saw white smoke, and exited the vehicle. The driver, identified only as Nicolas, said the car was engulfed in flames in less than a minute and totally destroyed within five minutes. No one was injured.

Tesla said in a statement to Agence France Presse the company is working with authorities to determine what happened.

A video of the car engulfed in flames was posted to Twitter: