Tesla Under Investigation (Again) For Potentially Defective Solar Panels
Image via Tesla
It’s recently been revealed that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has opened an investigation into Tesla, this time after a former employee claimed the firm failed to disclose fire risks about its solar panel systems.
News of yet another inquiry doesn’t bode well for Elon Musk’s company, considering it is already being investigated by The National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration over crashes occurring under Tesla’s Autopilot driver assistance system.
The whistleblower, Steven Henkes, had first filed a complaint regarding the matter in 2019, as per Reuters. Interestingly, the probe remained a secret till Henkes filed a followup Freedom of Information Act request on the outcome of his allegations.
While the SEC did not divulge any records to Henkes, it did confirm in September that the investigation he was enquiring about “is still active and ongoing.” When pressed on the subject, the regulators told TechCrunch it “does not comment on the existence or nonexistence of a possible investigation.”
In Henkes’ original complaint, the ex-Tesla employee claimed SolarCity—the company’s subsidiary—failed to inform customers that defective electrical connectors in its solar panels could be a potential fire hazard. He said he had notified higher-ups of the risk before bringing the matter to the SEC.
“The top lawyer cautioned any communication of this issue to the public as a detriment to the Tesla reputation. For me this is criminal,” said Henkes.
[via TechCrunch, cover image via Tesla]
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