[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/tesla-fires-ignite-blaze-while-ceo-in-denial\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/tesla-fires-ignite-blaze-while-ceo-in-denial\/","headline":"Tesla Fires Ignite Blaze While CEO in Denial","name":"Tesla Fires Ignite Blaze While CEO in Denial","description":"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a formal investigation into the safety of the Tesla Model S electric car following two reports of battery fires, igniting both vehicles. Both cars struck roadway debris that pierced the battery compartment, located just six inches from the ground. Tesla CEO Defensive Tesla CEO Elon Musk...","datePublished":"2013-12-09","dateModified":"2024-05-22","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/author\/rizklaw\/#Person","name":"Rizk Law","url":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/author\/rizklaw\/","identifier":9,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/10e23ce5e6c4dadb4589cd8edf2c3f59ac356a6e876c3656917777913d9c3bc1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/10e23ce5e6c4dadb4589cd8edf2c3f59ac356a6e876c3656917777913d9c3bc1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Rizk Law","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/rizk-law-logo-footer.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/rizk-law-logo-footer.jpg","width":278,"height":65}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Richard-Rizk-headshot.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Richard-Rizk-headshot.jpg","width":383,"height":427},"url":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/tesla-fires-ignite-blaze-while-ceo-in-denial\/","about":["Consumer Alerts"],"wordCount":325,"articleBody":"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a formal investigation into the safety of the Tesla Model S electric car following two reports of battery fires, igniting both vehicles. Both cars struck roadway debris that pierced the battery compartment, located just six inches from the ground.Tesla CEO DefensiveTesla CEO Elon Musk defiantly contends that \u201cthe battery\u2019s placement just one half foot above the ground gives the car a low center of gravity and great handling, while also protecting passengers from debris coming through the floorboards.\u201d Musk said \u201cthere\u2019s no reason to bolster the quarter-inch-thick shield that now protects the battery from road debris.\u201d Further in denial, he goes on to say \u201cwe believe the evidence is clear that there is no safer car on the road than the Model S.\u201dNHTSA Begins InvestigationThe NHTSA also minimizes the obvious\u00a0fire danger\u00a0to passengers. In the posting of its investigation, NHTSA noted that passengers in the Teslas that caught on fire were able to escape unharmed. NHTSA\u2019s report states \u201cin each incident, the vehicle\u2019s battery monitoring system provided escalating visible and audible warnings, allowing the driver to execute a controlled stop and exit the vehicle before the battery emitted smoke and fire.\u201dTesla\u2019s Proposed ImprovementsBefore NHTSA\u2019s announcement, Musk said that he is taking the following steps as a result of the fires:Higher ground clearance of the vehicle to make it less likely to strike road debris that can potentially penetrate the battery pack and\u00a0ignite a blazeAmending the cars\u2019 warranty to cover damage due to fireNHTSA\u2019s PlanThe NHTSA said it would \u201cexamine the potential risks associated with undercarriage strikes\u201d to determine whether the Model S has a safety problem\u2013and whether any work should be carried out to correct it.\u201d So far no one has suggested better placement of the car\u2019s battery than near the bottom of the vehicle."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Tesla Fires Ignite Blaze While CEO in Denial","item":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/tesla-fires-ignite-blaze-while-ceo-in-denial\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]