Tesla updates Model S software as a precaution against unsafe charging

Tesla Motors has maintained that the most recent fire involving one of its Model S electric vehicles isn't the result of a vehicle or battery malfunction, but the company is still addressing the situation with a software fix, according to Green Car Reports. The California-based automaker has added a software function that automatically reduces the charge current by about 25 percent when power from the charging source fluctuates outside of a certain range, Green Car Reports says, citing the Twitter feed from an Apple employee, @ddenboer, who owns a Model S. You can read the text of the update below.

Last month's fire in an Irvine, CA, garage was the fourth involving a Tesla this year. The company cited an investigation by the Orange County Fire Authority and said the incident was caused by a wall-charging system that overheated and not by the luxury sedan itself. Meanwhile, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) continues to take a closer look at the other three Tesla fires, all of which took place during the fall. Two of the fires - one in Tennessee and another near Seattle - were caused by metal debris in the road that struck the bottom of car and hit the car's battery with such great force that the battery was punctured.