Walmart has sued Tesla over claims the clean energy company's solar panels installed on top of the retailer's stores have caught fire.
Solar Panels In At Least Seven Walmart Stores Caught Fire
The suit, filed in the state of New York, claimed that as of November 2018, at least seven Walmart stores experienced fires because of Tesla's solar systems. These stores include those in Denton, Maryland and Beavercreek, Ohio.
Walmart also complained that individuals routinely deployed by Tesla to inspect the solar systems lacked basic solar training and knowledge.
It also said that Tesla failed to ground the solar and electrical systems properly and that the solar panels installed by Tesla on-site at Walmart stores have a high number of visible defects, which Tesla should have found and repaired before these led to fires.
Walmart Wants Tesla To Remove Solar Panels And Pay Damages
Tesla alleged that Elon Musk's company committed a breach of contract, gross negligence and failure to live up to industry standards.
The retailer company is asking Tesla to remove the solar panels from more than 240 Walmart locations where they have been installed and to pay the damages related to all the fires that Tesla allegedly caused.
"To state the obvious, properly designed, installed, inspected, and maintained solar systems do not spontaneously combust, and the occurrence of multiple fires involving Tesla's solar systems is but one unmistakable sign of negligence by Tesla," the complaint reads, as cited by CNN.
Business Hurdles For Tesla
Tesla is likely to fight back as it is struggling to revive its solar business. News of the lawsuit comes after Musk announced that customers in some states can now rent the company's residential, solar rooftop systems without a contract. Customers can avail this offer for at least $50 a month.
Tesla also faces other problems, which include a federal field investigation by the US National Transportation Safety Board, which was prompted by reports that several Model X and Model S Tesla cars burst into flames.
