Debunked: Teslas were not forbidden from entering highway in China

Just a few days ago, many Western media sites have reported of Tesla owners in China claiming that they have been stopped by the police from driving on the highway.

A video was uploaded on Twitter, showing several Tesla cars stopped by the side of the road.

The Tesla owners claim that authorities have stopped their car in concern of the alleged Tesla brake failure.

说广州，#特斯拉 不让上高速公路了。
In Guangzhou, #Tesla electric cars were not allowed on the highway. pic.twitter.com/CGqnW2ffUT

— WoodmanK (@WoodmanK417) April 23, 2021

There has been quite a buzz on this issue, with the most recent being a protest by a Tesla customer during the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show.

Also Read: Failed brakes spark protest at Tesla’s booth in 2021 Auto Shanghai

In China, several incidents of Tesla brake failure have been reported with owners claiming sudden acceleration of their Teslas and them being unable to brake.

Tesla has responded by reporting failure of their car’s ABS due to low ground friction (simply slippery surfaces).

While the brake failures have been acknowledged by Tesla, the social media posts of Teslas being prevented from entering highways in China have been refuted by our boss in Guangzhou who has had no problem at all driving his Tesla Model 3 on the highway.

Also Read: Indonesia poised to secure 'giant contract' from Tesla

The Guangzhou police department has also debunked the claims by the Tesla owners (as reported by Global Times), stating that all vehicles were forbidden from passing the road blocks, instead of just forbidding Tesla cars as claimed by the Tesla owners. 

Tesla certainly needs to fix the ABS issue, but it seems that the Tesla owners in China have overreacted from a general road block conducted by the authorities.