Tesla shares slip as fire hits another Model S supercar after crash
Shares in electric car firm Tesla Motors fell on Monday after reports of a second fiery crash involving the Palo Alto company's Model S electric car.
The second fire incident took place a week ago on 17 October in Merida, Mexico. A Model S sped into a roundabout, crashed through a concrete wall and hit a tree.
The driver "fled the scene" before the car went up in flames, said the US automotive website Jalopnik, citing the Mexican newspaper Progreso Hoy.
Tesla said that the Model S protected the driver despite the severe, high-speed crash.
"He is appreciative of the safety and performance of the car and has asked if we can expedite delivery of his next Model S," a Tesla spokeswoman said.
It was the second time this month that a Model S was the victim of fire. On 2 October, a Model S - Tesla's only vehicle on the market right now - burned after hitting road debris in Kent, Washington.
In that case, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the fire started when a curved metal object punched a 3-inch hole through the armoured plate that protects the battery. The car contained the blaze to one section of the battery, and the driver was able to get out before flames engulfed the front of the car.
Musk added that fires are much more common in vehicles with conventional gas engines.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has said it doesn't plan to investigate the 2 October incident because there is no indication that it was caused by a safety defect or that the Model S is violating federal safety standards.