Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Tesla grilled by Chinese authorities over quality of Model 3 cars

Tesla grilled by Chinese authorities over quality of Model 3 cars

Five Chinese departments, including the State Administration for Market Regulation, ask the carmaker to comply strictly with the mainland’s laws and regulations and protect consumer rights.

Chinese authorities have raised issues concerning the safety of Tesla cars with executives of the world’s largest electric vehicle maker, urging it to comply with regulations and protect consumers.

The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said it had conducted interviews with Tesla officials in Beijing and Shanghai recently over safety issues and incidents reported by consumers, including unintended acceleration, battery fires and over-the-air updates, together with Cyberspace Administration of China, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Emergency Management.

They asked the California-based EV maker to comply strictly with China’s laws and regulations, strengthen its internal management, assume primary responsibility for safety, maintain public safety efficiently and protect consumer rights, according to statement published on SAMR’s website late on Monday.

Competition in the world’s largest market for new-energy vehicles has intensified, pitting Tesla against the likes of home-grown EV start-ups such as NIO, Xpeng and Li Auto.

Electric car sales in China jumped 12 per cent to 1.17 million units in 2020, defying the consumption slump and depressed sentiment due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sales this year may increase by 50 per cent to 1.8 million units and up to 3 million by 2025, spurred by generous government subsidies and new models, according to an estimate by industry officials.

The meeting between Chinese authorities and Tesla executives came a week after the carmaker apologised to China’s State Grid for blaming the state-owned utility’s power system for damage caused to a Model 3.

A Tesla employee told the car’s owner in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, that the car’s inverter was damaged because of a current overload caused by the utility.

After State Grid denied the allegations, Tesla apologised to the company for misleading consumers. It added that the technical issue with the Model 3 car was resolved and further investigation into the problem was conducted.

Over the past few months, local media have reported several complaints lodged by mainland drivers about the quality of the Shanghai-made Model 3 cars.

“The intervention by the ministry-level authorities showed that complaints over Model 3’s quality had risen to such a level that regulators had to give a warning to Tesla to solve the problems,” said Gao Shen, an independent analyst on manufacturing sectors in Shanghai. “It remains to be seen whether harsh punishments, such as fines, would be slapped on Tesla.”

In December, a war of words ensued between online technology media PingWest and the US carmaker regarding the quality of its locally-made cars.
PingWest labelled the Shanghai Gigafactory 3 a “Giga-sweatshop” and accused Tesla of using substandard components in the locally built Model 3s.

Tesla denied the charges and threatened to take the tech news provider to court.

The Gigafactory 3 is Tesla’s first plant outside the United States. On January 1, it launched the Model Y, its second model manufactured in Shanghai. The new model has drawn a massive number of orders, and some buyers will have to wait until the second quarter for their cars to be delivered.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×