In a recent dispute over several so-called “brake failure” accidents, Tesla insisted that the back-end data showed that the accident was caused by the owner driving at excessive speed or stepping on the wrong gas pedal. There are rumors that Tesla has introduced new rules requiring owners to pass the company’s “driving test” before receiving a new car. In this regard, Tesla has made a public response.
Recently, rumors have spread on the internet that Tesla China has recently introduced new rules that require new Tesla owners to undergo driving training and pass a test before receiving a car. Some sources even said that if the test gets a perfect score, the owner will also be awarded a certificate.
(Screenshot from Weibo)
In response, Tesla China issued a public statement on Sunday (16) clarifying that their recent “Delivery Day All-Inclusive Ownership Workshop” was purely an “optional” event and that it was not mandatory for new owners to attend the training and take the test.
The statement said that Tesla China had previously held “owner workshops” and “fun quizzes” for new car owners, which were only “optional” activities to enrich the customer delivery experience. It is not considered a “pick-up test”. This activity aims to help new users quickly familiarize themselves with the operational details of the purchased Tesla electric vehicle and help owners master the various precautions for safe driving, and it is not mandatory for owners to participate, let alone the requirement of assessment scores. The statement emphasized that Tesla’s current delivery process is as usual and does not add any new restrictions.
(Screenshot from Weibo page)
The Chinese market is the second largest market for Tesla’s global marketing (after the US market). Last year Tesla’s revenue in China reached $6.66 billion, accounting for about 21 percent of the company’s annual revenue, almost double the growth from the previous year.
But starting in 2021, Tesla’s “China Dream” for electric cars in mainland China began to suffer setbacks, not only from private disputes over accidents, but also from deliberate crackdowns by Chinese Communist Party officials. Still, in the first quarter of this year, Tesla generated $3 billion in revenue in China, nearly triple last year’s revenue and accounting for 30 percent of the company’s overall revenue. But by April, Tesla’s sales in China saw a sharp decline.
In April, Tesla sold only 25,845 electric vehicles in China, compared with 35,478 in March, according to the China Passenger Vehicle Information Federation.
Recently, it was announced that Tesla has suspended its plans to buy land and expand its plant in Shanghai, abandoning its plan to make Shanghai its global electric vehicle export hub.
According to Reuters, Tesla has abandoned plans for a major expansion of its Shanghai plant and is not bidding for land on the other side of the highway from the company’s Shanghai mega-factory. But Tesla officials wouldn’t respond to that, saying only that everything was going according to plan.
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