Tesla dealt big blow as almost all cars in China need safety fix

A man (right) sits inside of a Tesla Model 3 as a vendor talks to him at a Tesla shop inside of a shopping mall in Beijing. — AFP

Tesla Inc’s aspirations in China were dealt a major blow over the weekend after the government ordered that almost all the cars it’s sold in the nation – more than 285,000 of them – be fixed to address a safety issue.

The State Administration for Market Regulation said in a statement on Saturday that the action involves 211,256 locally produced Model 3 vehicles and 35,665 imported ones, as well as 38,599 China-made Model Ys. The California-based carmaker only began deliveries of the Model Y sports-utility vehicle in January, so the recall will affect pretty much every driver who bought one.