Tesla is defending itself in the U.S. and Germany against allegations that it has violated environmental rules and regulations, according to a new financial filing.
In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency accused Tesla last week of failing to prove it is in compliance with federal emission standards for hazardous air pollutants. Specifically, the EPA is seeking details about how Tesla handles “surface coating” of its vehicles.
As CNBC has previously reported, the “paint shop” at Tesla’s main U.S. car plant in Fremont, Calif. has a history of problems, including fires, improper cleaning and maintenance. Some vehicle re-touching, to fix flaws in paint on the cars, has been done in a tented “paint hospital” at the Fremont factory, employees previously told CNBC.
