Tesla’s stock plummets after the opening of an investigation

The American authorities announced the opening of an investigation following the fire of a Tesla Semi this week.

On Monday, August 19th in the morning, a Tesla Semi caught fire in the United States after going off the road. This is the first recorded incident for Tesla’s road giant, which logically led to the opening of an investigation by the American transportation regulatory agency. This announcement made today immediately caused the stock to drop by nearly 6% amid broader concerns about electric vehicle fires.

Electric vehicle fires are neither more frequent nor more dangerous than those of internal combustion vehicles. However, in the case of an electric truck that incorporates large batteries like those found in the Tesla Semi, such an incident poses new challenges for emergency response teams. And in this case, novelty means uncontrolled risks. Unlike fires in gasoline or diesel vehicles, electric vehicle fires generate more heat and last longer due to chain reactions within the battery packs. In the case of the Tesla Semi fire, traffic had to be halted on that stretch of road for more than 13 hours while the fire was brought under control and the wreckage was cleared.

Once again, Tesla finds itself obliged to play the role of pioneer. It is worth noting that the Tesla Semi, which hit the roads at the end of 2022, is still in development. The first active units have been entrusted to large companies such as Pepsi, which are gladly and generously breaking them in. But beware of this negative publicity! The vehicle is also used by Tesla for transporting parts between its factories in Nevada and California. Let’s hope that the lessons learned from this incident, which fortunately did not result in any casualties, will be valuable for everyone.

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