According to a letter last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is evaluating a petition to investigate potential defects in Tesla batteries, particularly those for Model S and X vehicles produced for model years 2012 through 2019.

An attorney filing a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Tesla owners brought the petition to the agency’s Office of Defects Investigation, citing an “alarming number of car fires” that appeared to be spontaneous.

NHTSA asked Tesla to provide documents including consumer complaints, reports relating to the alleged battery fires and an accounting of software updates and certain failures related to battery cells by Nov. 28. Failure to comply would result in fines of up to $111,642,265, according to the agency’s letter, dated Oct. 24.

NHTSA has previously issued Tesla and its chief executive, Elon Musk, a cease-and-desist letter regarding “misleading statements” on the safety of Tesla’s Model 3 sedan, which the company claimed had the lowest injury-probability of any vehicle tested. Former safety officials and regulators also have accused Tesla of overstating the capability of its Autopilot advanced driver-assistance system, which has been active in multiple fatal crashes.

NHTSA acknowledged receiving the petition on Tesla’s battery management software and said it will review the complaint and any data associated with it. The agency said it is conducting a technical analysis of the claim and will post a final decision on whether to hold a hearing after that evaluation.

If NHTSA grants the petition, a hearing to evaluate any defects would enable safety officials to decide whether to take corrective action, such as issuing a recall or levying fines or other penalties, according to the agency.

In a separate Oct. 1 notice that it had opened a file, NHTSA estimated that about 2,000 vehicles could be affected.

Car and Driver magazine first reported NHTSA’s request for information and the scope of the investigation.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Tesla’s Model 3 was not included in the request for information.

Attorney Edward Chen, the petitioner, has separately filed a class-action lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on alleged battery fires, according to the NHTSA letter.

Tesla vehicles have been blamed in multiple fires that happened without a prior collision, such as a Tesla Model S that appeared to burst into flames while driving in traffic in Los Angeles. A parked Tesla Model S also spontaneously caught fire in Hong Kong, according to media reports earlier this year.

A Tesla spokesman called the incident in Los Angeles an “extraordinarily unusual occurrence.”

Jason Levine, the executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a consumer group, said the regulator appeared to be moving relatively quickly, sending its request just a few weeks after receiving the initial petition. That may not mean officials will open an investigation, but “it does indicate that they are taking it pretty seriously,” he said.

Levine said the pace of the review will be determined in large part by how quickly Tesla responds.

Defect petitions are relatively rare. The agency listed just five open petitions in September. They can also drag on: Levine said one of the open cases dates to 2013.

Separate from the defect petition, NHTSA has received more than two dozen formal complaints about Tesla battery issues reducing cars’ range, the agency’s records show.

“This is cheating,” reads one complaint about a 2014 Model S. “Tesla remotely lowered my battery range without my approval.”

Ford vehicles in Thailand equipped with the 2.0L Turbo and 2.0L Bi-Turbo engine include the Ford Ranger pickup truck, Ford Ranger Raptor performance pickup truck, and Ford Everest mid-size SUV.

The use of B20 diesel will also not affect car maintenance schedules and will not affect insurance policies or coverage. However, B20 diesel users must use only the oil certified by the Department of Energy Business under the Ministry of Energy.

Ford received an ECO sticker from the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) after completing studies and tests to guarantee that its 2.0L engines, both Turbo and Bi-Turbo, were B20 diesel compatible.

“Following extensive engineering checks and testing, we’ve confirmed that both our single and bi-turbo 2.0L engines are fully compatible with B20 biodiesel,” said Wichit Wongwattanakarn, managing director, Ford Thailand. “Ford supports the government’s policy and efforts to identify actions that will help reduce pollution concerns and effects on the environment.”

The new “Fit” is available in both petrol and hybrid powertrain, with the latter equipped with a new two-motor system called e:HEV, boasting electric-only driving for everyday usage.

The first “Fit” model was launched in 2001 and was marketed in Thailand and several overseas markets as “Jazz”. It has accumulated sales of over 7.1 million units.

There is no confirmation of the launch date for the new (Fit/Jazz) in Thailand.

Honda Thailand has selected “City” model for the eco-friendly market. A source said it may use the hybrid version of Jazz to spearhead the hybrid market in the future.

The automaker’s third new-generation model is touted as offering “an experience that lets customers relax and be themselves and deepens the bond between car and owner”.

Under the “Car as Art” ethos, the styling aims to raise the vehicle’s artistic value and expand the expressive range of Mazda’s “Kodo, Soul of Motion” design language.

Spaces in and around the centre console give the cabin an open feel, and environmentally conscious materials such as cork and fabrics made from recycled materials are used in ways that bring out their natural appeal, creating a comfortable interior space.

The MX-30 has freestyle, centre-opening double doors so customers can invent new and creative ways of using it.

The model new electric-drive technology, e–Skyactiv, combines outstanding response with smooth dynamic behaviour.

“Mazda wants people to experience exuberant moments in life through cars,” said Akira Marumoto, representative director, president and CEO. “We will continue striving to deliver creative products and technologies so our customers will love and hold onto their Mazda for a long time.”

The Tokyo Motor Show is open to the general public from Friday through November 4.

The move is part of the state agency’s EV Kit & Blueprint Project in cooperation with the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre and the National Science and Technology Development Agency.

The project aims to enable Thais to convert their old cars into electric vehicles at a cost not exceeding Bt200,000 (excluding the price of the battery).

The project has three phases.

The first phase (2010-2016) has been completed, with the conversion of some Honda Jazz and Toyota Vios models into electric cars.

The second phase, with a budget of Bt60 million, began in 2017 and will be completed next year.

The third phase is set to begin next year.

After this last phase is completed, the project will come out with a blueprint, which will be the standard for conversion of conventional cars into electric vehicles. It will subsequently seek out qualified car repair garages and provide knowledge to them in installing the EV kits.

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC) is the world’s premier solar-powered car race where young engineers from all over the world compete with their self-designed solar cars. The solar cars have to travel more 3,000 kilometres from Darwin in Northern Australia to Adelaide in South Australia over five days. The winner will be declared on October 20.

Narasimhan, who replaced Frenchman Antoine Barthes earlier this year, said that Nissan is looking at other brands and adopting strategies that will help it gain customers.

“It takes time,” he said, adding that Nissan is continuing to invest in the pickup truck segment while maintaining its strength in the city car market.

While the latest trend in the automotive world is electric vehicles (EV), Narasimhan, an Indian-born Australian, said that this is an important part of Nissan’s goal.

“The future is going to change and somebody is going to make the first move,” he said. Narasimhan predicted that in 10 years, there could be as much as 400,000 EVs on the road.

Nissan is the first major auto maker to launch an EV in Thailand. However, the Leaf EV is imported from Japan and due to import duty it is priced at almost Bt2 million, which puts the car in the luxury market rather than the affordable vehicle market.

The Leaf is not the only EV in the market though, with Hyundai, Kia and MG offering EVs as well.

“Competition is good, it will help spread the EV message,” he said.

Narasimhan said that Nissan decided to introduce the Leaf in Thailand not for volume or profit, but to lay a strong foundation for the age of EVs.

While Nissan is looking at sustainable objectives globally, locally it is working with government agencies such as the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) and Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) in order to set up an eco-system for EVs.

Asked whether Thailand could become an EV production hub for Nissan in the future, Narasimhan said first there need to be an appropriate supplier base, particularly for batteries.

In this region, the Leaf is also sold in the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand, which are generally export markets for Thailand.

“There’s no reason we wouldn’t use our facility to export,” he said

Narasimhan had been working in many Asian countries including China and the Philippines.

“I love working in Asia because people are so friendly and there is a lot of talent here, no doubt about that,” he said. “They have the willingness to work beyond what is expected.”

Nissan has seen improvement in many Asia markets recently. For example, in the Philippines where it was ranked ninth in the market five years ago, the Japanese brand has currently risen to the number three spot.

“As a brand in the region, we are continuously becoming stronger, not only with new products in new segments, but also with improved service as well,” Narasimhan said.

In Thailand, Nissan has been involved with a large number of social activities, apart from simply doing business.

“A good example is the Nissan Youth Leadership programme where we asked kids to draw what they think would be the car of the future,” he said.

“The drawings were extremely environmental conscious which shows us that the new generation has intelligent questions for us,” Narasimhan said.

The three-day dealer programme included representatives of various skill teams from Ford dealers, including sales and service advisers, and product specialists, on site at the state-of-the-art FTM facility to learn about the meticulous manufacturing processes and quality standards.

“This activity helps our dealer employees better understand how Rangers are produced, and speak of our vehicle quality with greater confidence,” explained Andrea Cavallaro, operations director, Ford International Markets Group (IMG). “It also serves as a way for our plant team to gain customer feedback through dealer staff, which will certainly help us further develop vehicles that meet the needs of our customers.”

As part of the programme, dealer staff had the opportunity to work on the FTM production line – including the body shop, paint shop, and trim and final assembly – alongside FTM staff, to gain first-hand insight into the process.

The dealer staff were also part of the quality assurance processes that include parts testing and vehicle testing including interior and exterior inspection, and initial drive on the test track. Ford engineers and plant executives were also present on-site to provide more information about the Ford vehicles and processes.

“Ford puts strong emphasis in developing dealer personnel to ensure that they can help us deliver an exceptional experience to our Ford customers,” said Wichit Wongwatthanakarn, managing director, Ford Thailand.

“This initiative is an opportunity for our frontline staff who interact with Ford customers every day to speak with confidence about the global processes and world-class quality standards that are in place at our Ford plants.”