Tesla, the upstart Silicon Valley company that’s proved an entrepreneurial automaker far from Detroit can make an exceptional and aspirational electric car, is embroiled in yet another fire controversy. Even as the National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA) continues its investigation into two crash-related Model S fires in the U.S. (but not a third fire in Mexico that’s out of its jurisdiction), this advanced electric car’s safety continues to raise questions.

The latest is the subject of media reports involving a fire in Toronto, Canada earlier this month, in which a Model S is involved while reportedly parked in a garage and unplugged. While conclusions have not yet been reached by Canadian authorities, a Tesla statement says the company has identified that the fire did not originate in the car’s battery or any components involved in charging.

Tesla maintains that the Model S has no battery issues and has an exceptional safety track record, and indeed the model achieved top five star crash testing scores across the board in NHTSA test protocols. However, what remains unexplained is whether there are specific issues that must be addressed to prevent further crash-related fires, thus NHTSA’s ongoing investigation.

This is a topic of sometimes passionate debate as Tesla proponents vigorously defend the model while others point to unintended consequences of battery power. It will be interesting to watch reactions and commentary once the NHTSA investigation is complete.

The Department of Transportation’s year-long Safety Pilot ‘model deployment’ in Ann Arbor, Michigan is over but the learning curve has just begun. Representing the largest-ever road test of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technology with nearly 3,000 vehicles, the demonstration explored V2V’s many benefits  in real-world situations as vehicles communicated with one another, exchanging real-time information like speed and GPS-derived location. While the main benefit is accident avoidance, the technology is also ‘green’ since it can reduce traffic congestion and save fuel.

This large scale demonstration was successful in showing  interoperability of V2V technology among products from different vehicle manufacturers and suppliers. Thus, from this and years of DOT testing of V2V technologies, DOT and NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) say they will begin taking steps to encourage V2V communication technology in future light vehicles.

With V2V, vehicles share basic safety data 10 times a second. DOT research indicates that safety applications using V2V technology can address a large majority of crashes involving two or more vehicles. With safety data such as speed and location from nearby vehicles, vehicles can identify risks and provide drivers with warnings to avoid rear-end, lane change, and intersection crashes

Vehicle-to-vehicle communications can provide 360-degree situational awareness to avoid  crash situations. For example, those nagging questions – is it safe to pass on a two-lane road, make a left turn across the path of oncoming traffic, or are vehicles approaching a blind intersection – are answered for you, consistently and automatically. In these situations, V2V communications can warn of potential threats hundreds of yards from other vehicles that cannot be seen, often when on-board sensors alone cannot detect the threat. Early indications show real potential to avoid 70 to 80 percent of crashes involving unimpaired drivers.

One challenge comes from the fact that V2V technology uses the 5.9-GHz frequency band also used by Wi-Fi devices. This could potentially cause interference and affect the integrity of V2V safety communications. That’s an important consideration since communication delays of even thousandths of a single second matter when dealing with auto and highway safety. Experts are working with the Wi-Fi industry to see how this spectrum can be safely shared.

This current pronouncement doesn't address autonomous cars or application in large vehicles like trucks and buses. The demonstration didn't include any V2V interaction with vehicle controls but rather only warnings to prevent collisions, not involving robotically operated systems like automatic braking or steering as part of an anti-collision strategy. That said, NHTSA is also considering future safety technologies that rely on on-board sensors. Those technologies are eventually expected to blend with V2V technology.

For those concerned with privacy,  V2V technology does not involve exchanging or recording personal information or tracking vehicles. The information sent between vehicles does not identify a specific vehicle,  just basic safety data. The contemplated system also contains several layers of security and privacy protection.

NHTSA will now begin working on proposed regulatory actions that would require V2V devices in new vehicles. The purpose of this initiative is to encourage development of V2V technology and pave the way for market penetration of V2V tech that will represent the next generation of life-saving achievements, enhancing the well-documented protection already seen with safety belts and air bags.

Challenges with advanced batteries have cropped up with automakers, aircraft manufacturers, and laptop companies alike in recent years. One of the most notable has been thermal runaway issues with lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries, the most advanced battery technology now in widespread use in transportation and consumer electronics. While appropriate engineering fixes have been made to move advanced battery power forward and ensure safety, problems still occasionally occur.

The latest involves Zero Motorcycles, which is recalling certain 2013 FX electric motorcycles manufactured from January 28 through May 21 of this year, plus 2013 XU motorcycles manufactured form January 16 through May 20 of this year. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), a manufacturing defect with the sealant material in the battery may allow water to penetrate the battery and contact the cells.

NHTSA says this may lead to corrosion of the cells, possibly resulting in a rapid temperature increase and off-gassing of the cells’ electrolyte that may cause a burn to the rider. Zero is remedying this by replacing the battery modules in affected models free-of-charge. This follows a recall of certain 2012 model Zero electric motorcycles last year due to insufficient weatherproofing, which the agency reported may short circuit the battery management system when subjected to wet conditions and possibly cause the motorcycle to inadvertently lose power.

It should be pointed out that conventional gasoline powerplants and fuel systems have suffered their share of recalls over the decades involving cars, motorcycles, and recreational vehicles. Alternative fuel vehicles have also had the occasional challenge, such as natural gas storage issues in GM’s natural gas pickups in the early 1990s. As always, the importance is in identifying the problem, effecting an engineering remedy, and moving on.