Update: Tesla confirm via (BusinessInsider) that there was a workplace incident at its plant in Fremont.
“There was a failure in a low pressure aluminum casting press. Three employees were injured by hot metal from that press. We are making sure that they receive the best possible care.”
According to initial reports from local media, a fire has broken out at the Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) factory in Fremont, California. The cause and extent of the fire were not clear at time of writing. Tesla has been hit with numerous stories about fires in its electric cars in recent weeks. The story that a fire broke out at the factory precipitated a fall in the value of the stock after the market closed.
A news chopper flying above the factory where the iconic Tesla Model S electric car is made reported that ambulances were on the scene, and at least one had left with a patient in tow. Apparently ambulances were seen leaving the plant. The story was picked up from local media by StreetInsider this afternoon.
Tesla Motors factory fire
Very little information about the problems at the Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) factory were available at time of writing. Tesla has not released a statement about the incident, and local authorities have not released any information. Most of the available reporting was coming from Twitter, meaning that the sources are not completely credible.
A local media source, NBC Bay Area, was streaming video of the Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) factory live from the scene. No flames were visible, but NBC Bay Area said that the three people taken from the site by ambulance were transferred to a burns unit. The company had not yet released any information about the fire.
There are many things that could have happened at the Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) factory to cause the burns, and the incident may not have been the result of a fire at all. If the problem is in any way related to the company’s lithium ion batteries it could cause trouble for the company’s stock tomorrow. Pressure on Tesla stock in recent weeks has emanated from stories of fires hitting the company’s Model S sedan.
