Global Times: Tesla Wreck In Nanchong Killed 2, Has “Raised Doubts” Over Car’s Functions, Quality

Could the ongoing love affair between the Chinese Communist Party and Elon Musk be hitting some speedbumps?

Confirming what appeared to be a horrifying accident in Nanchong yesterday involving a Tesla that ran amok on a city street and left mangled bodies strewn behind it, China’s state owned mouthpiece The Global Times is now “raising doubts” over Tesla’s functions and quality, according to an article published late Saturday. 

The article offers updates on yesterday’s terrifying scene, stating that the car was reportedly being driven by a 51 year old woman and the accident resulted in 2 dead and 6 injured. The possibility of drunk driving and driving under the influence of drugs have been excluded, according to the report. Media outlets claimed that “the car had gone out of control”. 

By raising the issue, The Global Times seems to have possibly given a nod that the government could be concerned as to the origins of the accident. “Some netizens suggested that the driver had made a mistake, but others doubt the effectiveness of Tesla’s autobrake and intelligent driving functions,” the article says. 

The article also notes several other similar incidents involving Tesla vehicles over the last few months:

Tesla cars have reportedly been responsible for several accidents in the past three months, according to a report from autoju.com. On August 17, a driver from Wenzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province, said his Model 3 suddenly sped up and rushed into the parking lot, damaging about a dozen cars. He also noted that the car’s brake was not working. Another driver from Hangzhou also reported in May that her Tesla once accelerated for no reason. 

Recall, it was only hours after Consumer Reports posted a scathing review of Tesla’s Full Self Driving option that video surfaced on Twitter of what was claimed to be Shuangfu Street in Nanchong City, the scene of where a Tesla allegedly “ran out of control and crashed into multiple cars.”

The videos appended to the Tweets appeared to show bodies strewn throughout the street, police on the scene and concerned onlookers. Reports on Twitter and a report published on NetEase’s news app claimed that 3 people have been killed and 8 people have been injured.

#Update:- In car Crashed at 3 people have been killed and 8 people have been injured.#Nanchong City, #Sichuan, #China ( local media report)

pic.twitter.com/DHnP7gJUIn

— A̷s̷h̷i̷s̷h̷ ̷G̷o̷s̷w̷a̷m̷i̷ (@AshishG0swami) September 5, 2020

The videos painted a disturbing scene, showing what appear to be lifeless bodies on the street in the aftermath of the event. The video also clearly shows a wrecked black Tesla Sedan, which appears to have rear ended a parked car.