- The woman claimed brake failure caused her father to crash his Tesla into multiple vehicles.
- During the trial, Ms. Zhang admitted she had no evidence the car’s brakes had failed.
- A Chinese car blogger has also been ordered to pay damages to Tesla.
Tesla has emerged victorious in a legal battle in China against a woman who went viral after standing atop a Model during the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show while wearing a T-shirt that alleged ‘Brake failure.’ Ms. Zhang is obligated to issue a public apology and compensate Tesla with RMB 172,275 (approximately $23,800).
The woman’s protest at the show sparked headlines around the world. Ms. Zhang alleged that her father’s Tesla experienced brake failure, resulting in a multi-vehicle rear-end collision. In response to these accusations, Tesla promptly initiated legal action against her
Watch: Angry Tesla Owner Jumps On Model 3 At Shanghai Show To Protest Her EV’s Faulty Brakes
In the trial, Ms. Zhang admitted she had no evidence that the brakes on her father’s car had failed and said the claim was subjective. Police had also already determined that Zhang’s father caused the crash and was driving it in violation of local traffic laws, but she refuted this. CNEVPost also notes that the woman did not request an investigation to see if the brakes had failed on the car.
The court determined that Zhang’s actions amounted to defamation. In addition to wearing a T-shirt at the Shanghai Auto Show that alleged ‘Brake failure,’ she also shouted from the roof of the show car that her father’s vehicle suffered from brake failure. The court further concluded that she deliberately utilized the media to disseminate false information with the intention of tarnishing Tesla’s reputation
Zhang isn’t the only person involved in the incident. Chinese car blogger Feng Shiming lent his media day pass to Zhang, allowing her to attend the show. Tesla then alleged that he was the mastermind behind the protest, a claim he denied.
Shiming pursued legal action against the carmaker for infringement upon his reputation rights. However, he lost the case and was compelled to issue an apology to Tesla and pay RMB 250,000 (approximately $35,200) in financial damage
Image credit: Global Times