Tesla Model Y in Spotlight After a Fatal Crash in China

The Tesla logo is seen at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory in Shanghai, China, on Jan. 7, 2019. (Aly Song/Reuters)

The driver of a Tesla Model Y vehicle was involved in a fatal accident in China that killed two and injured three.

Tesla said, “Police are currently seeking a third party appraisal agency to identify the truth behind this accident, and we will actively provide any necessary assistance,” reported Reuters.

Tesla also cautioned against believing “rumors,” according to the report on Nov. 13.

The Troubled Tesla China

According to the Chinese media BRTV report, a video showed a white Tesla crashing into other cars and a person on a bicycle while careening down the street at high speed in Guangdong, a southern province on Nov. 5.

A Chinese netizen claiming to be the driver’s relative said that it’s very likely a malfunction of the brakes was the cause of the speeding automobile and the accident, according to the BRTV report.

The Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times called the public relations division of the local police station in Chaozhou in charge of the case, but the call didn’t go through.

Tesla indicated that the video showed that the car’s brake lights were not on when the car was speeding and that its data showed there was no action to step on the brakes throughout the vehicle’s journey, according to Reuters.

Tesla’s brake failure was also in the spotlight last year when a woman protested while standing atop the roof of a Tesla car, shouting “brake failure” at the Shanghai International Auto Show on April 19.

She claimed that the brake failure of her Tesla Model 3 caused her to crash into two cars while nearly killing four of her family members in February 2021.

The woman also said on her Weibo account on Sept. 27, 2021 that Tesla is suing her for reputation damage, The Epoch Times reported.

To date, the dispute has not been resolved.