Tesla Says Its Product Didn't Cause Garage Blaze While Fire Department Is Less Certain

Tesla's long run of good luck came to an end earlier this year when one of its Model S cars caught on fire near Seattle, something that was the result of hitting debris in the road. This incident was followed up with some other incidents, not the least of which was a garage in California that contained a Model S catching on fire last month. Tesla Motors says the fire wasn't a result of its vehicle, but a report by the fire authority acquired by Reuters indicates less certainty.

Reuters says it has obtained a copy of the report by the Orange County Fire Authority, and in it the Tesla Model S and its charging system is implicated as a possible cause of the blaze. The report lists the fire as resulting from an "electrical failure in the charging system for an electric vehicle."

What caused the first to start isn't certain, however, according to the report. At the time of the fire, the Model S was charging via a 240-volt wall socket. Says the report of this: "The most probable cause of this fire is a high resistance connection at the wall socket or the Universal Mobile Connector from the Tesla charging system." Tesla Motors doesn't agree with the report, however, with one representative saying that the company investigated the issue and is certain it wasn't the Model S or charging system that caused the fire.

This contrasts with the Model S fires that happened this year, two in the United States and one in Mexico, which resulted from road incidents of some variety. Unfortunately for the company, news of the issue still resulted in a significant drop in stocks, and it is likely this latest issue won't help it any.

SOURCE: Reuters