A woman surnamed Li, who was one of the demonstrators at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition in April 2021 who claimed brake failure on her Tesla car, was ordered by a court to issue a public apology to Tesla and compensate her for her losses. The Phoenix News reported Wednesday. .
Lee was reportedly driving a Tesla when he was involved in a traffic accident in March 2021. On April 19, Mr. Li and Ms. Zhang, another female Tesla car owner from central Henan province, appeared at the Tesla exhibition booth at the Shanghai Auto Show wearing the following outfits: Customized T-shirt with the words “Brake Failure” and the Tesla logo.
Zhang stood on top of a Tesla car on display and repeatedly shouted, “Tesla’s brakes didn’t work.” She was then detained by local police and Ms Lee was given a warning.
Tesla sued Mr. Lee for damaging the company’s reputation.
During the litigation, the court commissioned a judicial appraisal agency to inspect Lee’s Model 3 vehicle. The evaluation confirmed that the brake system is in good and effective condition and complies with relevant technical standards for vehicle operation and safety inspection.
According to a court ruling obtained by Phoenix News, Li is responsible for violating Tesla’s reputation. She must delete all comments and statements on her Sina Weibo account that tarnished Tesla’s reputation within 10 days of the effective date of her ruling.
She must also make a written apology to Tesla (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. on her Sina Weibo account and compensate the plaintiff for economic losses and incurred legal costs totaling 2,000 yuan (US$280). She also has to pay 20,000 yuan as an appraisal fee.