A 2022 Tesla Model Y suddenly lost power on a highway in China's Zhejiang province, despite showing 72 kilometers of remaining range, prompting coverage from state media outlet China.com. The story went viral on Chinese social media, sparking discussions on electric vehicle safety. This amplification occurs as Tesla faces a sharp sales decline in China.
On the evening of February 7, a 2022 Tesla Model Y lost all propulsion while driving from Shanghai toward Taizhou on a highway in Zhejiang province. The vehicle stopped about 2 kilometers before the Shengzhou service area. Driver Ms. Chen noted that the dashboard indicated roughly 72 kilometers of range left when the car began decelerating unexpectedly. All electrical systems failed, the central display turned off, steering assist vanished, and hazard lights could not be activated. Ms. Chen maneuvered the immobilized vehicle into the emergency lane using its momentum.
China.com, a state media outlet under China's State Council Information Office, published the report, which quickly spread across platforms like Weibo. This coverage has fueled online debates about safety margins in electric vehicles and the accuracy of battery range displays.
Tesla has over 1.5 million vehicles on Chinese roads. The company sold about 657,000 units in 2024 and 626,000 in 2025. However, January 2026 saw domestic sales drop 45% year-over-year to 18,485 units, the lowest in more than three years. Full-year 2025 retail sales fell 4.78% to 625,698 units, reducing Tesla's share of China's new energy vehicle market from 10% to 8%. Competitors like Xiaomi's SU7 delivered 258,164 units in 2025, surpassing the Model 3. New models such as Xiaomi's YU7 and Xpeng's G7 are competing directly with the Model Y, reportedly securing over 300,000 combined orders.
In January 2026, of Tesla's 69,129 wholesale vehicles from Shanghai, over 73% (50,644) went to export markets. Historically, Tesla enjoyed close government ties, including the Gigafactory Shanghai deal brokered with Premier Li Qiang, allowing it to operate without a local joint venture. An Associated Press investigation noted Tesla won nearly 90% of civil cases against customers and journalists over safety issues in China.
Recently, Chinese state media contradicted Elon Musk's claims about Tesla's Full Self-Driving approval in January 2026. Tesla vehicles have also faced restrictions in government compounds due to camera security concerns. Commenter Anupreet Singh suggested China views Tesla as less strategically vital now that its domestic EV industry has advanced.
Electrek described the state media's choice to highlight this single failure as the key aspect, contrasting with past protections for Tesla.
