, Columnist
Scariest Tesla Explosion Was Its Stock Price
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When a video of a Tesla Model S bursting into flames hit the Web on Oct. 2, it seemed to concentrate two anxieties -- among investors and the general public -- into one explosive moment.
The first is that lithium-ion batteries, which power Tesla's electric car, seem to catch fire an awful lot and might not be a great idea for cars. Regulators temporarily grounded Boeing's 787 Dreamliner earlier this year after one of the batteries caught fire, and similar problems plagued the Chevy Volt's battery pack under government testing. Lithium-ion devices have also occasionally melted down laptops and other electronics.