U.S. electric vehicle company Tesla will launch a large-scale recall in China.
On the 21st (local time), according to Bloomberg and others, Tesla decided to recall 3 million vehicles in China. It follows a finding by the State Administration for Market Regulation that there are safety problems with flush-mounted door handles.
Tesla vehicles are equipped with flush-mounted electric handles. The problem is that if power is cut off in a crash, they may not work properly, preventing passengers or rescuers from opening the doors and delaying escape or rescue. Bloomberg previously reported that when Tesla vehicles were engulfed in flames after a collision, rescuers could not open the doors, resulting in at least 15 deaths.
Through this recall, Tesla is said to plan to add software that automatically lowers the windows after a crash and to add labels indicating the location of the emergency manual release.
After similar accidents continued in other electric vehicles such as Xiaomi, the Chinese government banned flush-mounted handles early this year. As a result, not only Tesla but other Chinese electric vehicle brands are also conducting recalls related to flush-mounted handles. The total recall volume spans nine automakers and 4.27 million vehicles. It is known as the largest recall in China conducted for the same quality issue.