China has tightened safety and oversight standards for electric vehicles as automakers fight fierce price war
Chinese-made Tesla Model 3 vehicles are seen during a delivery event at its factory in Shanghai, China, January 7, 2020. REUTERS
Tesla and 10 other automakers released software updates on Friday and said they would recall nearly 4.3 million vehicles over fears it could be difficult to open the doors in an emergency, in China’s largest auto recall to date.
This year, Beijing increased oversight of the electric vehicle industry and introduced stricter safety requirements, as automakers, locked in a fierce price war, deploy technologies in the world’s largest vehicle market.
It has also said it will ban hidden door handles starting in 2027, making it the first country to phase out a design popularized by Tesla and widely adopted by domestic electric vehicle makers.
Most of the actions, classified as product recalls under Chinese regulations, address concerns that mechanical emergency door release handles may be difficult to locate or operate during emergencies.
Warning labels and software fixes
Nine of the 11 automakers, including Tesla and Xiaomi, will install warning labels for free to identify handles, while most will also implement over-the-air or remote software updates.
The Tesla recall is the largest. These are 2.98 million Model 3, Model Y, Model S and Model
The U.S. automaker said mechanical emergency door release handles can be difficult to identify after a serious collision and electrical system failure, which could make it difficult for occupants to escape or access for rescuers, according to the statement.
Tesla’s remedy includes warning labels and a remotely sent update that automatically rolls down the vehicle’s windows after a collision.
In addition to Tesla and Xiaomi, Leapmotor, Xpeng and Geely Holding also announced their largest recalls on record, according to their filings with SAMR.
Xiaomi will recall about 390,000 vehicles, Leapmotor about 371,000 and Xpeng about 264,000.
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The other companies that filed with the regulator are making much smaller product recalls.
Tesla and Xpeng did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while Geely declined to comment.
Xiaomi said it has no additional information beyond the regulatory notice.
Leapmotor said it was committed to safety. It said the update involved only a warning label and updating the power window control software, but that it was “managing and archiving it in accordance with the recall process out of a sense of responsibility to our users.”
A design feature that allows doors to be opened using a key fob, smartphone or press-operated mechanism has drawn regulatory scrutiny in China and the United States over concerns that handles may be difficult to access during emergencies.
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