Tesla has unexpectedly reduced the prices of electric cars in China. That didn’t sit well with motorists who bought Teslas in November and December.
In the Chinese city of Chengdu, angry Tesla owners staged a real pogrom in one of the brand’s car showrooms. The reason was the unexpected introduction of discounts on electric cars of the American brand. This is reported by the CarNewsChina website.
The Tesla showroom was seriously damaged, with damaged furniture and one of the Tesla Cyberquads on display. In addition, souvenirs with Tesla symbols, as well as water and sweets for visitors, were stolen.
Protests also took place in Tesla car dealerships in other Chinese cities, but there everything was done without hooliganism — the owners of electric cars only chanted ‘Return the money!’
The fact is that since January 6, there are serious discounts on locally produced Tesla electric cars in China. The Tesla Model 3 sedan has dropped in price by $3,000 to $5,300, depending on the version, and now costs $33,600 to $48,200.
The discount on the Tesla Model Y crossover is even greater — from $4,300 to $7,000. Its cost is $38,000 to $52,600.
The protest was started by motorists who decided to buy a Tesla in November and December. They did not know about the discounts, because they were not announced. Tesla owners paid the full cost of the car and now demand compensation — an extension of the warranty for 2-4 years, free charging at Tesla Supercharger stations and activation of autopilot.
The protesters handed over a list of demands to representatives of Tesla’s Chinese branch. They promised to publish a response on Tuesday and said that compensation is not currently planned.
