Amazon.com Inc. has joined supermarket chain Walmart Inc. in blaming Tesla Inc.'s solar panels over fires in their respective facilities, Bloomberg News reported Aug. 23, citing an email from the Seattle-based online retailer.
Amazon claimed that a solar system installed by Tesla's SolarCity unit caught fire on the roof of one of its warehouses in Redlands, Calif., in June 2018, according to the report. Tesla acquired SolarCity in 2016 for $2.6 billion.
On Aug. 20, Walmart sued SolarCity, now known as Tesla Energy Operations Inc., at the New York Supreme Court following a series of fires that allegedly originated from the latter's solar panels installed on the rooftops of several of the retailer's stores across the country.
Amazon added that it has since enacted measures to protect its facilities, and it has no plans to install more Tesla solar panels.
In an emailed statement to S&P Global Market Intelligence, Amazon said it has a "very small" number of solar systems installed by Tesla and it has taken protective measures to ensure the safety of its staff and business operations.
Tesla did not immediately respond to S&P Global Market Intelligence's request for comment.
On Aug. 22, Walmart and Tesla issued a joint statement saying both companies are in talks to resolve all issues surrounding Tesla solar systems installed at Walmart stores.
Walmart's lawsuit came just days after Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted on Twitter that the company plans to launch solar panel rentals for residential homes.
