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Tesla has apologized after being attacked by Chinese state media for treating customers, days after a protest against the company in one of its most important markets.
The presence of the American vehicle manufacturer in the Shanghai Motor Show this week she was overshadowed by protesters wearing T-shirts alleging Tesla vehicles had “malfunctioning brakes.” The incident drew large crowds before security guards took the protesters away.
The company said a Tesla customer who had taken part in the demonstration had requested a refund after an accident in February, which he alleged was caused by a brake failure. But negotiations stalled after the owner refused to allow a third-party investigation into whether a malfunction or speeding had caused the crash.
Tesla added that it would take responsibility for any problems with its cars, but “our attitude is that we do not commit to unreasonable complaints.”
But Tesla’s response sparked a wave of criticism from China’s state-run media, prompting the company to apologize.
“We deeply apologize for not resolving the issue with the car owner in a timely manner,” Tesla wrote in its official account on Weibo, the Chinese blogging platform, on Tuesday. A team had been set up to handle the protester’s case and would “work with any government investigation”.
$ 6.7 billion
Tesla sales in China last year
The approximate face came after the company was accused of “shirking responsibility” whenever it was criticized, according to an article by China’s Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, the Communist Party’s top legal authority. . The letter was shared on WeChat, the social networking platform.
Tesla’s popularity in China came from consumers who trusted the company, according to the article, “but arrogance, let alone disrespect for the Chinese market and consumers, may not be the answer to this. faith”.
Xinhua, China’s official news agency, asked in a separate post, “Who gives Tesla confidence to ‘not commit’?”
Tesla has done it great ambitions in China. Its Model 3 sedan was the best-selling electric car in the country in 2020 and its newly launched China-made Model I the compact sport utility vehicle has also been a hit. The company reported $ 6.7 billion in sales to the country last year, making China the second largest market after the United States.
But national rivals they are accelerating efforts to take over the business, launching models to attract younger consumers.
“Tesla has a lot at stake,” said Tu Le, founder of consulting firm Sino Auto Insights. “They risk alienating the only place that is the focal point of their ambitions.”
Chinese state media have a history of raising feelings against foreign companies. Brands like Nike and H&M were affected last month by one opposite reaction on Xinjiang, the western region where Beijing has been accused of human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims.
A series of negative headlines in recent weeks have threatened to undermine Tesla’s success. Some military precincts in Beijing last month banned Tesla owners from parking vehicles inside their gated communities for fear that car cameras could pose a security threat. The company has denied that the cameras could be used to spy.
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