The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reportedly launched a probe into Tesla vehicle battery fires.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has launched an investigation into Tesla battery fires focusing on all Model S and Model X vehicles manufactured between 2012 and 2019. The federal agency is not officially classifying the probe as an “investigation” but rather a “defect petition.”
In a letter to Tesla’s legal department dated October 24, the NHTSA demanded that Tesla produce all documents relating to “high-voltage battery fires that are not related to collision or impact damage to the battery pack” in the Model S and Model X. This includes “all original written, printed, typed, recorded or graphic matter whatsoever … of every kind, nature and description,” such as papers, letters, memos, emails, charts, tables, appointment books, diaries, travel reports, blueprints, and over 100 other information sources.
Tesla was forced to update its Model S and Model X with a software update that limited the charging of the vehicles to 80 percent of their capacity after a Model S fire was reported in Hong Kong in May. The company said that this update due issue out of “abundance of caution” to “protect the battery and improve its longevity” but did not going into detail about what the issue with the batteries was.
In Shanghai in June, another Model S burst into flames, at the time Tesla stated that the fire involved a single battery module and was not a system issue. Model S battery packs are comprised of 16 battery modules that contain a combined 7,000 battery cells. The NHTSA is focusing on Tesla battery systems and battery management software in its probe.
Tesla’s battery limitation update has resulted in a class-action lawsuit and a number of customer complaints. The lawsuit alleges that the range of the Model S and Model X, both of which retail for around $100,000, is less than what buyers initially paid for and that the resale value of the cars had been greatly reduced as a result of the update.
Model S owner Robert Karpuk is not part of the class-action lawsuit but is upset with the update telling the LA Times that he wants a “straight answer” from Telsa: “What is it about this update that specifically affects my battery pack? They won’t tell me,” Karpuk stated.
Tesla’s latest vehicle, the Model 3, is not part of the probe as its battery system differs from that of the Model S and Model X.
Tesla fires have been reported in high profile accidents around the world, many following collisions on the road. In October one lawsuit alleged that the car’s futuristic door handles prevented a man from being rescued from his burning Tesla. The company is also being sued by the family of a teen that died in a crash and fire in 2017.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or email him at lnolan@breitbart.com