After the start of delivery for the Model 3 produced in the local Gigafactory this January, customers (up to the outbreak of the Corona virus) ran into a storm in the Tesla branches in China. However, Tesla seems to have made a mistake in the production of the electric car, which now has consequences: An unknown number of Model 3 is said to have last been equipped with an older version of the autopilot hardware, although the latest version (HW3 or FSD- Computer) was specified.
New Tesla computer since 2019
The latest in-house developed autopilot hardware was released by Tesla in spring 2019, and CEO Elon Musk said it will now be installed in all Tesla vehicles. Customers who had previously ordered autonomous driving would be upgraded to the new FSD computer free of charge if the functions were developed to such an extent that the better hardware was useful. These conversions have already started in the United States.
However, according to a pandaily report, in early March several owners of Tesla Model 3 from China found that their cars were still delivered with the older hardware HW2.5; in the papers, however, there is talk of the new FSD version. Customers reported this on social media – and some of them said that they had complained to the consumer hotline about Tesla.
Tesla promises free replacement
Tesla then released a statement, pandaily said, confirming the hardware downgrade and causing problems in the supply chain. The company also pointed out that the older hardware made little difference in practice: it only had an effect on customers who ordered the FSD option, and each of them had the latest hardware installed. The others will do this free of charge as soon as “production capacity and supply chain recover”.
However, that was not enough to appease all customers – not even the Chinese government. The Global Times released a statement mid-week calling Tesla to ensure product consistency, quality, and safety during production in the country.
Model 3 from USA also affected?
A customer also expressed further dissatisfaction in the report, especially since the information about the incident only flowed in after the fact. In fact, some Model 3 buyers are said to have joined a class action lawsuit against Tesla asking for a refund, among other things. In addition, according to a customer, the problem does not only concern Teslas produced in the China Gigafactory, but also her Model 3 imported from the USA. According to the Global Times, market surveillance by the local government has confirmed that there are ten complaints about Import Teslas.
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