Tesla stated that it would assist Chinese authorities in investigating a fatal accident involving one of its Model Y cars after reports in local newspapers said that two people had died and three others were injured. This is according to a report by Reuters on Sunday, Nov. 13.
The crash was reportedly caused by the driver losing control.
The accident was one of the most talked about issues on the Chinese social media site Weibo recently. Notably, China is Tesla's second-largest market after the United States.
The Fatal Accident
In the accident about a week ago, on Nov. 5, in the southern province of Guangdong, Jimu News posted a video showing a Model Y car by US automaker Tesla traveling at high speed and slamming into other vehicles and a bicycle. The event resulted in the deaths of a biker and a high school girl.
"Police are currently seeking a [third-party] appraisal agency to identify the truth behind this accident and we will actively provide any necessary assistance," said the electric vehicle maker of Elon Musk in a message sent to Reuters. The message also warned readers not to believe rumors.
According to Jimu News, the traffic police in Chaozhou City noted that the cause of the incident had not been determined. An unnamed family member of the driver stated that the 55-year-old had problems with the brake pedal when preparing to pull over in front of his family store.
Tesla said that footage proved that the car's brake lights were not on while the vehicle was speeding and that its data highlighted problems such as there being no effort to press on the brakes during the vehicle's route.
On Sunday, the police in Raoping, the district where the accident occurred, were called to ask for comments or updates but could not be reached, said Reuters.
Issues on Brakes
Even before, there have been allegations of brake failure leveled against Tesla in China.
The company said in a statement to Reuters that a Chinese vehicle owner had previously been forced by a court to apologize to Tesla publicly. This was after it was found that comments the driver had made to the media regarding troubles he was having with his brakes were inconsistent with the facts.
The court also concluded that the comments had caused damage to Tesla's reputation, causing the court to compel the car owner to compensate the US automaker.
Last year, a dissatisfied client created a commotion on social media by climbing on top of a Tesla at the Shanghai auto show. Reports said it was to protest how the firm handled her concerns over faulty brakes that were involved in a vehicle accident.
In that particular incident, Tesla said that speeding offenses were to blame for the driver's accident. Nonetheless, the US car company committed to changing how it would address consumer concerns moving forward.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Trisha Kae Andrada
