Tesla Adds Titanium Shield to Model S; NHTSA Closes Fire Investigation

Tesla Motors has announced that a three-part underbody shield that uses titanium has been added to all Model S vehicles manufactured as of March 6 in the wake of last year's reported fires.

The shielding can also be retrofitted on existing vehicles at the owner's request or during scheduled maintenance, The Wall Street Journal reported.

While Tesla CEO Elon Musk clarified that the new shield is not necessary for safety, the addition will make drivers more confident in the Model S electric car and serve as damage control for the brand's image.

Even though Tesla has already responded to fire concerns with other updates, the company "felt it was important to bring this risk down to virtually zero to give Model S owners complete peace of mind," Musk said in a blog post.

The new underbody shield comprises a hollow aluminum bar designed to deflect objects and absorb impact; a titanium plate to protect from damage; and a solid aluminum shield as another layer of protection.  

"As the empirical evidence suggests, the underbody shields are not needed for a high level of safety," Musk said in the statement. "However, there is significant value to minimizing owner inconvenience in the event of an impact and addressing any lingering public misperception about electric vehicle safety."

Thanks to the added shielding, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has closed an investigation into two Tesla Model S fires.

In two fires that were reported last year, the Model S drivers believed running over a hard object pierced the car's aluminum underbody, causing the battery to catch on fire. No one has been injured in a Tesla-related fire, but both cars in these two incidents were destroyed by the flames, according to WSJ.

The Palo Alto, Calif.-headquartered startup earlier addressed the fires with a software update to give the vehicle higher clearance at high speeds as well as a fire warranty on all its cars.

In spite of the fires, Tesla's Model S earned an exceptionally high score for owner satisfaction in the 2013 Consumer Reports survey published in November.