Online video raises doubts over Tesla’s functions, quality

Source: Global Times Published: 2020/9/6 12:28:40

A Tesla Model 3 displayed at the Guangzhou Autoshow on November 22 Photo: VCG



An accident occurred in Nanchong, Southwest China's Sichuan Province on Saturday, with 2 people killed and 6 injured by a rampaging car, rumored to be a Tesla vehicle. The accident raised concerns among some netizens about the effectiveness of the car's functions, particularly the autobrake. 

The car, driven by a 51-year-old woman, had run into multiple automobiles and pedestrians on Saturday afternoon, resulting in 2 dead, 6 injured and several damaged vehicles, according to a statement released by the public bureau in Nanchong, Southwest China's Sichuan Province on Saturday. 

According to the statement, possibilities of drunk driving and drug driving have been excluded, and the police are currently investigating the cause of the accident.  

The statement did not explicitly state whether the involved vehicle is a Tesla car. However, a video circulating on China's twitter-like Sino Weibo showed the car, a black Tesla, surrounded by broken glass and deformed tricycles. 

Some media outlets also claimed that the car had "gone out of control."

The accident has provoked discussions among Chinese netizens. Some netizens suggested that the driver had made a mistake, but others doubt the effectiveness of Tesla's autobrake and intelligent driving functions. 

Tesla cars have reportedly been responsible for several accidents in the past three months, according to a report from autoju.com. On August 17, a driver from Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, said his Model 3 suddenly sped up and rushed into the parking lot, damaging about a dozen cars. He also noted that the car's brake was not working. Another driver from Hangzhou also reported in May that her Tesla once accelerated for no reason. 

Tesla did not respond to an interview request from the Global Times on Sunday.

Posted in: ECONOMY

blog comments powered by Disqus