"The word 'recall' needs to be recalled," Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
But a recall is just what the company is issuing. Tesla Motors has offered to replace 29,000 potentially-faulty charging adapters, even though the company maintains a recent software update will remedy any and all problems. Tesla informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of its precautionary "voluntary recall" of adapters distributed with its Model S.
See also: 5 Surprises You'll Find in a Tesla Model S
"Initial analysis demonstrated that defective or improperly installed wall receptacles that the NEMA 14-50 adapter plugged into could cause problems including melted adapters and, in a worst case scenario, fire," James Chen, Tesla's vice president of regulatory affairs, wrote in a letter to the NHTSA dated Jan. 12.
The NEMA 14-50 adapter allows Tesla owners to charge their cars through three-pronged power outlets. Tesla called the recall "not necessary" and said it believes the overheating problem was fully addressed with an over-the-air Model S software update from December, which the company specifically announced in a press release on Friday.
The software update causes an automatic reduction in the charging current by 25% if the car's computer detects fluctuations in power supplied to the vehicle. Tesla's software announcement stated that "inappropriate wiring or installation of electrical outlets" likely caused any overheating instances by creating "electrical resistance."
"This fully addresses the issue by substantially reducing the heat generated in any high resistance connections outside the vehicle," the announcement read.
The company will still offer consumers an improved NEMA 14-50 adapter to "ensure confidence in all Tesla-branded products." The new adapter will include an internal thermal fuse to help mitigate the overheating issue.
Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to address the recall on Tuesday.
Some confusion in media reports today. No Tesla vehicles are being physically recalled by Tesla.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 14, 2014
The word "recall" needs to be recalled.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 14, 2014
This isn't the first time Musk has been cantankerous in response to media reports on Tesla's flagship vehicle. In February, the CEO accused a New York Times writer of contriving the conditions that led to an article criticizing the Model S.
Musk also took issue with what he considered overblown reporting on a series of three Model S car fires during a five-week period leading up to Nov. 6 — or, as he put it, "seeking to make a sensation out of something that a simple Google search would reveal to be false."
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