Tesla’s Use Of Downgraded Hardware In Its Vehicles Sparks Outrage In China
Image via Nadezda Murmakova / Shutterstock.com
Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, Tesla faced troubles with its supply chain in China, leaving the company to sell its Model 3s with older version of its control chips, per Nikkei Asian Review.
An owner of the vehicle noticed that the part number embossed on the labels of its control unit inside the car wasn’t in accordance with the Model 3’s information sheet. According to a Tesla WeChat post uncovered by Nikkei, the new chip was made to be 21 times faster than its predecessor.
Tesla released a statement on the Chinese social media platform Weibo apologizing for the mishap faced by some owners, per Business Insider. However, it claimed that it did not intend to mislead its customers and that the chip replacement had “almost no difference” to the driver’s safety.
The company had to shut down its latest Shanghai factory for ten days since 29 January. After the Nikkei article went viral, Elon Musk responded about the incident on Twitter, stating that the customers who reported did not order Full Self-Driving (FSD).
“Perhaps they weren’t aware that the computer is upgraded for free if the FSD option is ordered even after delivery,” he wrote.
Business Insider reports that the Tesla’s FSD feature is commonly charged 7000 as an addition to the Model 3.
True. Oddly, those who complained didn’t actually order FSD. Perhaps they weren’t aware that the computer is upgraded for free if the FSD option is ordered even after delivery.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 4, 2020
[via Business Insider, cover image via Nadezda Murmakova / Shutterstock.com]
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