Tesla is having an increasingly difficult time in China this year as it faces criticism over both the security and quality of its electric vehicles.
As Reuters reports, a Tesla customer made a scene during a Shanghai auto show on Wednesday because she was so angry about how the company had treated her complaints regarding malfunctioning brakes. The woman attended the show and proceeded to climb on top of a Tesla Model 3 while wearing a t-shirt that had the words “The brakes don’t work” written on it.
What followed was an inevitable swarm of cameras ready to record the scene while venue security and Tesla representatives attempted to calm the situation and ultimately convince the woman to get down. Video of the debacle has since gone viral in China and triggered local media and regulators to react. It’s being suggested that Tesla is acting with arrogance and privilege, which local tabloid Global Times said, “could inflict serious damage on its reputation and customer base in the Chinese market.”
Grace Tao, a Tesla vice president in charge of public relations, marketing, and branding for China, didn’t help matters by suggesting in an interview that the customer protest was staged, which led to further accusations of arrogance by the company. At the same time, Tesla apologized for not dealing with the complaint to the satisfaction of the customer and is launching a review into its service operations. Information about the brake malfunction claimed by the customer will be shared with a local regulator to ensure openness.
Tesla is also facing scrutiny over the privacy of its vehicles in China after they were banned from entering military locations and housing compounds. The company subsequently pointed out that its cameras only work in the US, so there’s no chance of spying occurring. As 30% of Tesla’s sales now occur in China, Elon Musk will be very keen to get on top of this situation before it escalates any further.
