On Friday, a Tesla Model 3 EV crashed in East China’s Zhejiang Province causing one death and a critical injury. Though the exact reason for the crash is unknown, there are allegations that the accident happened due to a braking system failure in the EV.
The incident occurred on February 17, when a Tesla Model 3 which was speeding on an urban road, crashed into a bus. Before crashing into the bus, the vehicle also hit an electric bicycle and several cars on the road. Surveillance footage shows that during the crash, the brake lights were not engaged on the EV. The crash was so severe that it instantly killed the passenger, critically injured the driver, and damaged three other cars in the vicinity.
Tesla has agreed to fully cooperate with the local authorities during the investigation. Tesla China also released a statement saying, “We are very sad about this accident. We fully understand everyone’s concern about this accident. Currently, the local traffic police are investigating the cause of the crash, and we will do our best to cooperate with the authorities. We also ask everyone not to believe or spread unconfirmed information”.
Tesla is having a hard time in China as the company is facing tough competition from homegrown EV makers like BYD. The fatal crash on Friday has added to the company’s woes as consumers are now questioning the safety of EVs. After the crash, the company has seen a drop in its sales as rumors and allegations state that there is something wrong with Tesla EV’s braking system. Recently more than 300000 Tesla EVs were recalled in the US after authorities found that they posed a crash risk. Though the company has rolled out an OTA update to mitigate the crash risk, Tesla’s reputation has taken a hit after the US investigation reports.
Tesla has faced similar allegations in the past, where customers have complained of braking issues and brake failure. However, investigations have always come out in favor of the company, as in all previous cases authorities found that it was the driver’s mistake that caused the accident.
Tesla, which was the number one EV seller in the world, was recently dethroned by the Chinese EV company BYD. China is the biggest EV market in the world, with a projected revenue of $190.40 billion in 2023. The country reported a 113% growth in its EV sale, a staggering figure as compared to North America and Europe. China’s BYD overtook Tesla last year to be the number one Electric Vehicle seller in the world. Hence, it is obvious that Tesla will keep an eye on China and its growing EV market.
During the Q4 2022 earnings call, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that Chinese workers worked the smartest and hardest of all and Chinese EV makers are the biggest rival to Tesla. Hence the company is working harder to recapture its market in China by introducing price cuts and other benefits exclusive to Chinese customers.
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(via)
