Tesla Went Haywire in China, Killed Two Bystanders

Electronic parts are replacing many modern car features nowadays, even for fundamental parts such as throttle and brake controls. The lack of mechanical parts in some parts of the car has prompted many unexplained incidents and failures, with some even taking away lives in the process.

One such incident recently happened in Guangdong, China, involving one Tesla Model Y. Said the car’s owner, the Model Y’s brakes suddenly failed when the driver attempted to stop and park before suddenly speeding off at high velocity. Along the way, said car was swaying across lanes, running onto cars and motorcycles before eventually crashing into a storefront.

As reported by the local news, the unnamed 55-year old Tesla driver was having issues with his car’s brake pedal as he tried to pull over onto the side of the road to stop. The driver fortunately survived said crash, sustaining some injuries in the process.

In response to this incident, Tesla China has issued a statement to clarify things. In the statement, Tesla claimed that said vehicle logs showed the brake pedal was not applied during the incident, but it was in fact the throttle pedal that was being pressed for quite a long time throughout the unfortunate event. The American EV marque further added that the public must not jump into conclusions quickly, especially when it comes to incidents and rumours involving Tesla’s cars.

Furthermore, the CCTV footage shows that the brake lights on the Model Y were not illuminated for most part of the video, with the lights being on 23 seconds later. The Guangdong Police Forces is willing to work with any external agencies in helping to solve this case by assessing the vehicle logs and CCTV footage of said incident.

In the light of this life-taking incident, it is fair to note that Tesla China has faced such issues, particularly involving accusations against the functionality of Tesla cars’ brake pedals. Previously reported was a Chinese customer who staged a protest at Tesla’s booth during the Shanghai Motor Show last year, claiming that she was involved in an accident due to brake failure. Such incidents, however, are not limited to China only, as many complaints were also filed against Tesla back in their home soil, the US.

America’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have examined complaints by Tesla users facing ‘unintended acceleration’. NHTSA found that most cases were due to driver’s error, not due to any design flaw in Tesla cars.

So, what do you think of this incident? Was it the Tesla that was faulty, or was it purely due to driver’s error? Considering that China is Tesla’s second largest market overall, the magnitude of this incident is quite big and significant for the brand. Following the company’s decision to cut prices on its models and closure of key showrooms, is it a sign that Tesla are actually affected by said incidents and few others of the same nature? Leave your thoughts in the comments down below…