Tesla Safety Incident Again, Driver Death Suspected Due to Brake Failure in China

Driving at 158 km/h on a 60 km/h speed limit road... China's 'Tesla crackdown' likely to continue
Over 52,000 units sold in China in Q1, Tesla to raise Model 3 prices from the 8th

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Amid rising public criticism over the safety of Tesla electric vehicles in China, a fatal accident has occurred.

Photo by Baidu capture

According to Chinese media including Global Times on the 10th, a Tesla vehicle collided with a truck ahead in Guangdong Province, China on the 7th, resulting in the driver's death.

Chinese media reported that the Tesla vehicle was driving at 158 km/h on a road with a maximum speed limit of 60 km/h when the collision occurred. They also added that the Tesla vehicle was delivered in January, and the deceased driver was a retired police officer in his 60s.

Global Times stated that an investigation into the accident vehicle is underway and that the possibility of a malfunction in the Tesla vehicle's braking system cannot be ruled out. It also referenced a protest incident at last month's Shanghai Motor Show, where suspicions of brake malfunction in Tesla vehicles were raised. The protesting driver claimed that the braking system of the Tesla Model 3 did not function properly, nearly causing the death of family members on board. At that time, Chinese media extensively reported on the protest incident, detailing past conflicts between Tesla and Chinese customers.

Global Times reported that since last year, more than 10 cases of uncontrollable Tesla vehicle accidents have been reported, and such accidents have occurred not only in China but also in other countries including the United States.

In this context, there are also criticisms that Chinese media are leading a 'Tesla bashing' campaign. Tesla sold about 140,000 electric vehicles in the Chinese market last year, maintaining the number one market share.

Tesla's popularity in China continues despite safety accidents. In the first quarter of this year, Tesla Model 3 sales totaled 52,858 units. If the current trend continues, sales are expected to exceed 200,000 units this year. This is why there are claims that the continuous reporting on Tesla safety accidents by Chinese media is not unrelated to Tesla's sales in China.

Meanwhile, despite worsening public opinion in China, Tesla raised the price of the Model 3 as of the 8th. Chinese online media Pengpai reported that Tesla announced via its official Weibo (the Chinese version of Twitter) that the price of the Model 3 was increased by 1,000 yuan (approximately 173,430 KRW). Tesla explained that the price increase was adjusted to 259,000 yuan (about 43.52 million KRW) for the Model 3 due to cost fluctuations including batteries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.