Tesla forced to recall 1.1MILLION electric cars over braking fault & safety risks in China
TESLA had to recall more than a million electric cars because of possible safety risks.
China’s top market regulator said there was a safety issue with the acceleration and braking systems of certain models made in China and abroad.
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The state market regulator said the problem could be fixed with a software update sent over the air to the vehicles.
The agency made the decision after investigating a reported defect in one of the cars.
Beginning May 29, Tesla will take back 1,104,622 cars produced between January 12, 2019 and April 24, 2023.
The recalled vehicles include imported Model S, Model X, Model 3, Chinese-made Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.
The problem is that drivers “step on the gas pedal by mistake” over a long period of time, according to the regulator.
It was warned that this could increase the risk of accidents and posed a “safety risk”.
The software update brings back the ability to turn off regenerative braking and warns the driver if they press the accelerator too hard.
Regenerative braking helps conserve energy when a vehicle is braking and feeds the excess energy to the batteries to increase range.
Tesla has disabled the option to turn off tech on vehicles manufactured after 2020.
Some consumers in China welcomed the technology as it allowed them to bring a vehicle to a full stop without using the brake pedal.
However, others complained that it could confuse drivers and increase the risk of a misstep when accelerating.
Tesla announced that it would be contacting the affected vehicle owners to find the solution.
In March, China recalled 2,649 Tesla vehicles manufactured between October 2015 and August 2020.
According to the Chinese regulator, the trunks of certain imported Model S vehicles are at risk of opening while the vehicle is in operation.
Last year, Tesla recalled more than a million U.S. vehicles over concerns that power windows would not stop if they detected an obstacle — such as a driver’s finger or even their neck.
Tesla said there were no known injuries or deaths related to the software.
