Battery short-circuit a possible cause of a Tesla fire in Shanghai

A battery short-circuit may be the reason why a Tesla Model S burst into flames last Sunday in a parking lot in Shanghai, according to the preliminary findings of an investigation reported by the news agency The Paper.

The burned-out remains of the car were sent to the Tesla Shanghai Experience Center this morning to be inspected. Since the Tesla Model S was launched in 2012, there have been nearly 50 incidents where the cars have caught fire or exploded.

Tao Wei, an expert on automobile defects at the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine, attributed the latest incident to a battery short-circuit. He said it isn't possible to gather further information about the battery and its electronics as they were destroyed in the fire, adding that it's unclear when the final results of the official investigation will be ready.

The car's owner said he is focused on being compensated for the incident.