Tesla says single battery module caused car fire in Shanghai

BEIJING — Electric vehicle maker Tesla said on Friday that it has found no systemic flaws in its vehicles following the investigation of a Model S sedan that caught fire in Shanghai.

The company said in a statement posted on its Weibo social media account that a joint investigation team had analyzed the battery, software, manufacturing data and vehicle history.

Initial results show that this fire, which was captured on video, was caused by a single battery module fault located at the front of the vehicle, Tesla said.

The company has revised the charge and thermal management settings on Model S and Model X vehicles via an over-the-air (OTA) software update, to help further protect the battery and improve battery longevity, the statement said.

Japanese battery manufacturer Panasonic supplies Tesla with battery cells, but not modules, which are a group of cells joined together.

A parked Tesla Model S caught fire in Shanghai on April 21.

Tesla has said its EVs are about 10 times less likely to experience a fire than petrol-powered cars.