Walmart Sues Tesla Over Rooftop Solar Panel Fires
Walmart files a massive lawsuit against Tesla, accusing the company of gross negligence after solar panels catch fire on multiple store roofs. The retailer demands the removal of panels from all 240 locations.
Walmart sues Tesla for breach of contract and gross negligence after rooftop solar panel systems on seven of the retailer's stores catch fire. The lawsuit, filed in New York state court, targets Tesla Energy Operations, a division formerly known as SolarCity, and accuses the company of failing to live up to industry standards for the systems it designs, installs, and maintains.
The retailer demands that Tesla remove solar panels from all 240 locations where they are installed and pay for damages related to the fires. Walmart states in the filing that properly maintained solar systems do not spontaneously combust, and points out that Tesla fails to provide complete root cause analyses to identify the precise defects causing these incidents.
This legal action comes just days after Tesla CEO Elon Musk announces a new rental offering for solar power in an effort to revive the struggling renewable energy business. Tesla's share of the solar market drops significantly since its 2016 merger with SolarCity, with the company deploying only 29 megawatts of new solar installations in the second quarter compared to 103 megawatts by leading competitor SunRun.