Owner admits to fabricating facts in Tesla China brake failure case

In Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, a Tesla owner admitted he fabricated facts when he claimed his Tesla Model 3 had a brake failure in 2020.

The incident happened on August 12, 2020. Mr Chen claimed to have lost control of his Model 3 and hit a dozen cars before coming to a stop. The owner, in response, posted short videos claiming that his vehicle suddenly accelerated and the brakes failed.

However, in a not-so surprising turn of events, Mr Chen admitted that he was entirely at fault.

In a statement, he said:

“After the accident, I was upset even though I knew I had pressed the accelerator pedal instead of the brake. I have been insulting and defaming Tesla Inc. and Tesla vehicles since mid-August 2020 by continuing to fabricate content on Douyin, Weibo, radio and TV interviews about Tesla’s automatic acceleration and brake failure, and about how to cherish life and stay away from Tesla.” (via CnEVPost)

The man lost a court case in Wenzhou last year in October. Part of the court settlement included an apology to Tesla on Douyin and paying a fine of RMB 50,000. However, after the case, the owner continued to post incorrect information on Douyin and Weibo.

Mr Chen posted the latest apology on Weibo. The post has now been picked up by several local media outlets.

Tesla China did not provide a comment on the situation with Mr Chen.

 

Are you buying a Tesla? If we helped, click here to get $650 off your Model 3/Y purchase or $1,300 off Model S/X, and three months of Full Self-Driving (FSD).
About Scott Nordlund 1727 Articles
Originally from the West Coast, Scott is an avid writer & EV enthusiast now living in Ottawa. He holds a MA in Political Science and once played professional football in the German Football League. Email scott@driveteslacanada.ca