BEIJING — A Tesla Model 3 exploded in an underground residential parking garage in Shanghai on Tuesday, Chinese media reported.
No people were injured in the fire, Tesla said in a statement to Chinese media. Preliminary analysis indicates the accident was caused by an impact to the underside of the car, the automaker added in the reports.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment. It was not immediately clear whether the Model 3 affected was a locally made or imported version.
Chinese battery manufacturing giant Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) said it did not make the battery pack for the car that spontaneously combusted, according to Chinese media.
Scattered accident reports
A number of Tesla cars have exploded over the years, including in the U.S.
In April 2019, Tesla sent a team to investigate the apparent explosion of one of its parked vehicles in Shanghai.
Elon Musk’s electric cars have come under scrutiny in China for other reasons, such as their self-driving technology. Earlier this month, state-owned Economic Information Daily said in a commentary piece there were at least 10 reports in 2020 of drivers losing control of their Tesla vehicles in China.
A best-seller in China
Despite growing competition from China’s several electric car start-ups such as Nio, Tesla’s Model 3 was the best-selling electric car in China last year, according to the China Passenger Car Association.
The company has ramped up production at its factory in Shanghai since it opened just over a year ago, even reportedly shipping some China-made cars to Europe.
Tesla announced Monday that it officially began deliveries of its China-made Model Y.
Source: Business - cnbc.com
