The Guardian - China-Tesla recalls 16m cars in China over Autopilot and steering defects
January 5, 2024 2 min 406 words
特斯拉在中国召回160万辆车，原因是Autopilot和方向盘存在缺陷。这是特斯拉在中国迄今为止最大规模的一次召回，影响了公司在该国销售的大多数车辆。中国市场监管总局表示，受影响车辆将通过远程升级解决问题，大多数车主无需亲自前往特斯拉服务中心。此次召回是继上个月在美国召回200多万辆特斯拉电动车后的又一举措。问题主要涉及自动辅助驾驶和车门锁控制。自动驾驶辅助功能存在误用风险，加剧事故风险，而车门逻辑控制则是为防止碰撞时门锁打开。这一系列召回背后，美国国家公路交通安全管理局经过两年的调查发现Autopilot部分自动驾驶系统存在缺陷。特斯拉为此进行在线软件更改，增强对驾驶员的警告，以促使他们更加关注道路。然而，研究表明，仅仅通过测量方向盘上的扭矩并不能确保驾驶员足够专注。特斯拉在中国市场占有重要地位，这一召回事件将对其声誉和销售产生重大影响。虽然中国是特斯拉的重要市场和制造中心，但此次召回将考验特斯拉在中国市场的表现，对其与中国官员紧密关系的挑战也在加剧。
Tesla is recalling more than 1.6m Model S, X, 3 and Y electric vehicles exported to China for problems with their automatic assisted steering and door latch controls.
The recall, Tesla’s largest-ever in China, affects the majority of the cars it has sold in the country, according to Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal.
China’s State Administration for Market Regulation announced the recall on Friday. The agency said Tesla in Beijing and Shanghai would use remote upgrades to fix the problems, so in most cases car owners would not need to visit Tesla service centers.
The recall follows another in the US last month of more than 2m of Tesla EVs to improve its system for monitoring drivers.
The Chinese recall due to problems with the automatic steering assist function applies to 1.6m imported Tesla Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Ys. When the automatic steering function is engaged, drivers might misuse the combined driving function, increasing a risk of accidents, the notice said.
The recall to fix the door unlock logic control for imported Model S and Model X EVs affects 7,538 vehicles made between 26 October 2022 and 16 November 2023. It is needed to prevent door latches from coming open during a collision.
The recall followed a two-year investigation by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into a series of crashes – some deadly – that occurred while the Autopilot partially automated driving system was in use. The investigation found the system was defective.
The upgrades are intended to get drivers who use the Autopilot system to pay closer attention to the road. Documents filed by Tesla to the US government said the online software change will increase warnings and alerts to drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel.
However, research conducted by the NHTSA, the National Transportation Safety Board and other investigators show that merely measuring torque on the steering wheel does not ensure drivers are paying sufficient attention.
China is a major market and manufacturing center for Tesla, and the company’s chief executive, Elon Musk, has built close ties with Chinese officials even as US-China relations soured. The company built an electric vehicle plant in Shanghai in 2019 that assembles cars for China, Europe and other overseas markets.
Tesla is the No 2 seller in the booming Chinese market for electric vehicles. The market leader is Chinese auto company BYD, which recently overtook its US rival.