The bad news just keeps piling up for Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA).
A former Tesla process technician, Martin Tripp, who was fired from Tesla and then sued by the company, has now tweeted a number of internal emails and photos that allegedly show damaged batteries and flawed practices at Tesla’s battery factory, according to CNBC.
Tripp has gone out on a limb to warn Tesla car owners who he claims received faulty, punctured battery cells.
“The lists of vehicle identification numbers, which he wrote in the tweets, refer to specific cars that received batteries containing damaged cells that never should have been installed,” reported CNBC.
Tripp also tweeted pictures that he claims prove Tesla is storing waste or scrap in open parking lots and trucks at the Gigafactory, rather than temperature-controlled warehouses.
The former Tesla technician also shared screenshots of graphics that he says show a high volume of waste at the factory.
The tweets in question have been taken down.
Tesla has characterized Tripp as a disgruntled ex-employee and saboteur in the past.
"As we've said before, these claims are false and Mr Tripp does not even have personal knowledge about the safety claims that he is making,” a Tesla spokesperson told CNBC.
“No punctured cells have ever been used in any Model 3 vehicles in any way, and all VINs that have been identified have safe batteries. Notably, there have been zero battery safety issues in any Model 3," the spokesperson added.
This is not Tripp’s first controversial tango with Tesla. In June, Tesla sued Tripp for US$1mln alleging he leaked information to the media with the intent to sabotage the car maker. Tripp countered with a whistleblower tip to the US Securities and Exchange Commission slamming Tesla for putting customers at risk.
A second former Tesla employee has filed a formal whistleblower complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission, alleging the automaker failed to disclose to shareholders that authorities had uncovered an alleged drug trafficking ring involving employees at its Gigafactory plant in Nevada, reported Jalopnik.
Karl Hansen, a former member of Tesla’s internal security department and its investigations division is offering up claims that go far beyond the alleged manufacturing issues highlighted by Tripp.
“I hope that shining a light on Tesla’s practices will cause appropriate governmental action against the company and its management,” Hansen said in a statement.
Tesla stock declined 0.92% to US$335.59.
Contact Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com
Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive
-- Updates with second whistleblower complaint, stock update --