NHTSA Says Tesla NEVER Asked Them To Investigate Battery Fires

The head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration flatly denied Tuesday that Tesla Motors had sought an investigation into battery fires in Model S vehicles, and questioned if it would even be proper for the electric vehicle company to make the request.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a blog post late Monday, “We have requested that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conduct a full investigation as soon as possible into the fire incidents. While we think it is highly unlikely, if something is discovered that would result in a material improvement in occupant fire safety, we will immediately apply that change to new cars and offer it as a free retrofit to all existing cars.”

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TheSteve - 11/19/2013 3:18:10 PM

0 Boost

Mr. Elon Musk, CEO & Chief Product Architect of Tesla Motors, is quite a spin doctor. This is not new for him. When Top Gear gave his car an unflattering review, he accused them of arriving at their conclusions before the car even arrived at their studios. He even reused the same accusation when a car magazine gave it a similar review.

Unfortunately, he's not a very good or credible spin doctor.

randy3023 - 11/20/2013 11:42:05 AM

+2 Boost

Just because this lifelong bureaucrat David Strickland didn't get the memo, that doesn't mean Tesla didn't submit a request.

A bureaucrat vs. a winning entrepreneur who clearly cares about safety and has no reason to lie? I'll go with Musk. Musk is brilliant.

Most people had never even heard of Administrator David Strickland before today. After today, due to his peculiar comments, any cozy industry relationships and ties to corporations and lobbying groups in his past will surely be thoroughly investigated.