Dhe US electric car manufacturer Tesla is recalling around 55,000 vehicles in China due to possible safety-endangering defects. As can be seen from an online statement by the Chinese market supervisory authority, almost 20,000 “Model S” cars and over 35,000 “Model 3” cars are affected.
According to reports, there are two different security risks: In the “Model 3”, defects were found around the reversing camera. This could be damaged by opening and closing the trunk lid and ultimately fail. With the “Model S” there is a risk of the bonnet opening unexpectedly if a locking mechanism were released. This could obstruct the driver’s view.
Around 500,000 affected cars in the USA
Tesla had previously recalled almost half a million vehicles in the United States for the same reasons. It has not yet been possible to clarify whether vehicles in Germany will also be affected by the defects and a possible recall. The responsible Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) in Flensburg could not initially be reached for a comment.
Tesla generates around a fifth of its sales in China, the world’s largest market for electric cars. The group founded by Elon Musk has been operating a factory in Shanghai with several thousand employees since 2019. The company is currently building its first European factory in Grünheide near Berlin. However, this has still not been officially approved.
According to the Brandenburg state government, Tesla has now submitted the missing documents for the approval process. “At the end of the 50th calendar week (13-19 December), the outstanding documents and information were received, which form the prerequisite for a decision on the Tesla application,” said a spokesman for the environment ministry of the dpa. These documents would now, among other things Checked by the State Office for the Environment and the Lower Water Authority of the Oder-Spree district.
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