Tesla shares hold steady as investigation into fatal crash gets underway

A member of the media test drives a Tesla Motors Model S car equipped with Autopilot in Palo Alto, California.

David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Tesla Motors' shares barely budged on Friday following news that U.S. regulators opened an investigation into the automaker due to a fatal crash.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is looking into the "Autopilot" feature in Tesla's Model S cars, and this examination is the first step that may lead to recalling vehicles if declared unsafe.

"This is the first known fatality in just over 130 million miles where Autopilot was activated. The customer who died in this crash had a loving family and we are beyond saddened by their loss," Tesla said in a release.

The San Francisco-based company closed at $216.50 on Friday, up nearly 2 percent. The company's shares have dropped nearly 10 percent this year.

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