Beijing Forces Recall Of Nearly 128k Tesla Cars

Tesla has recalled nearly 128,000 cars in China due to a fault that could "increase the risk of vehicle collision", the mainland's market regulator said.

It is the latest hitch for the US electric vehicle giant. Its vehicles are hugely popular in China, but it has also faced complaints from consumers and been hit by Covid-19 lockdowns.

Roughly 127,785 domestic and imported Tesla Model 3 cars were recalled after a rear motor inverter defect was discovered in an official probe.

"When this fault occurs when the car is driving, it will cause the vehicle to lose its driving motion," the State Administration of Market Regulation said. "In extreme cases, this could increase the risk of vehicle collision."

Tesla sold a record 70,847 cars in China in December, facing stiff competition from homegrown brands such as Nio and XPeng. The carmaker has also been targeted, however, by numerous social media complaints from Chinese users about quality and service issues, culminating in a high-profile customer protest at the Shanghai Auto Show in April last year.

Tesla's Shanghai "gigafactory" has been shut for at least 12 days due to an outbreak of Covid-19 that has seen record infection numbers and confined the city's 25 million residents at home indefinitely.

In December Tesla recalled almost 200,000 vehicles from China over a trunk defect that increased the risk of collisions.

Tesla founder Elon Musk last year predicted that China would become the firm's biggest market in the long term, and has sought to increase its foothold in the country. (AFP)