Tesla must recall more than 1.1 million vehicles in China due to braking and acceleration issues that could increase the risk of drivers getting into accidents. The automaker will be able to implement the fix with an over-the-air update, though.
The fault does not relate to any mechanical issues, but rather to the regenerative braking. According to the Chinese regulators, Tesla must now allow its drivers to control the intensity of regenerative braking in their vehicles, something it previously did not allow them to do, reports Bloomberg.
In addition, the automaker will be required to add a warning for drivers, reminding them that they’ve been pressing the accelerator for long periods of time. Both are intended to help prevent instances of pedal misapplication.
Read: Tesla Recalls 363k Cars Over Full Self-Driving Beta’s Potential To Cause A Crash
Tesla will be forced to apply these updates to every single vehicle it has produced in Shanghai between January 2019 and April 2023, as well some models that were imported to the country, where accusations surrounding its brakes have dogged it for years.
The most notable accusation came at the Shanghai auto show in 2021, when a Model 3 owners climbed onto a Tesla vehicle and claimed that her father had nearly died because of a brake failure.
That’s far from the only high-profile case of an alleged brake failure in China. However, Tesla has, in some cases, responded with on-board data and other evidence that it claims proves the brake pedals in the crashed vehicles were never pressed.
That serves to further suggest that drivers of its vehicles are prone to pedal misapplications. The issue may be made worse by its vehicles’ quiet and powerful electric motors, which provide drivers with no audible cue that the accelerator has been pressed, and allow the vehicle to accelerate very quickly.
Whether these measures help the Tesla drivers in China remains to be seen, but getting this right will likely be important for the brand. The market is an important player on the global EV market, and is the brand’s second-largest by sales.
