Chinese car journalists are told not to be negative on Tesla as it sues customers and media
A new scathing report about Tesla just came out in China. It describes how the automaker is becoming trigger-happy, suing its own customers and the media while auto journalists are being told not to be negative about the American automaker.
To this day, Tesla is the only foreign automaker with a wholly-owned car factory in China, although Toyota is expected to follow in a few years.
Elon Musk made the deal happen with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials back in 2018. Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai became the company’s biggest production hub and its biggest source of revenue and profit.
Tesla would never be where it is today without Gigafactory Shanghai and the Chinese market.
Now, we learn that Tesla is willing to go to great lengths to protect that.
The Associated Press (AP) has just released a fascinating in-depth report about Tesla’s activities in China regarding customers and the media.
The report centers around a new perspective on the highly publicized battle between Tesla and one of its Chinese customers who claimed a brake defect, but it also goes deeper by highlighting a shift in Tesla’s approach to criticism in China.
AP found that Tesla sued “at least six car owners in China who had sudden vehicle malfunctions, quality complaints or accidents they claimed were caused by mechanical failures.”
Tesla also sued “at least six bloggers and two Chinese media outlets that wrote critically about the company.”
This is highly unusual behavior for an automaker.
The report also highlights the close relationship between Tesla and CCP officials, especially Li Qiang, the former party boss of Shanghai who is now China’s premier. He was involved in the Gigafactory Shanghai deal.
It’s not news that Tesla benefited from preferential treatment in China, but the report goes quite a bit further.
AP alleges that local media are instructed not to be negative on Tesla:
Tesla has profited from the largesse of the Chinese state, winning unprecedented regulatory benefits, below-market rate loans and large tax breaks. With a few pointed exceptions, Tesla has enjoyed largely ingratiating coverage in the Chinese press, and journalists told AP they have been instructed to avoid negative coverage of the automaker.
A reporter told AP:
“We were told by our editor that we should not write negatively about Tesla because it is a key company that was introduced and protected by the Shanghai government.”
The report also explains how Tesla wins about 90% of the court cases filed against the automaker by customers who claim a defect.
Many customers complained of Tesla’s lack of communication, leading to filing lawsuits.
If they file lawsuits, they lose, and if they complain publicly, they are the ones getting sued by Tesla and forced to pay the company and make a public apology.
Electrek’s Take
That’s quite a report. It gave a new perspective on Ms. Zhang’s case. Her case made it to Western media in 2021-2022, but never with the level of detail in this report.
The facts are she got into an accident. She claimed it was due to a brake failure. Tesla claimed it was due to a driver mistake.
She felt compelled to protest Tesla over what she saw as a serious safety issue. She was quite persistent with it. Tesla sued her and won because she had no way to prove that a brake defect had caused the accident. She was forced to pay Tesla and make a public apology.
But we also learned that Tesla claimed that other entities were backing her despite no evidence of that whatsoever.
I think there’s room for reflection on Tesla’s part here. Is this what it wants to be: a company that sues its customers and media over criticism?
Like some customers said in the report, Tesla could have avoided much that by simply having better communications with customers.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
The new CLA Shooting Brake is the first electric Mercedes vehicle available as an estate. It’s more spacious, more capable, and more high-tech than ever.
Meet the new Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake EV
Mercedes introduced the new CLA Shooting Brake on Tuesday, its first electric estate car. The Shooting Brake arrives as the second EV from the luxury brand’s new entry-level family of vehicles.
The electric wagon takes the best of the new CLA, which was revealed just a few weeks ago, and adds more space and capability.
It’s also bigger than the current CLA Shooting Brake, offering a more spacious interior. The new EV measures 4,723 mm in length, or 35 mm longer than the outgoing model.
With an extended wheelbase of 2,790 mm (+61 mm), the electric version offers 14 mm more headroom and 11 mm more legroom in the front. Rear passengers gain 7 mm of headroom but lose 6 mm of legroom compared to the current model.
Boot space is 455 L, which is 50 L more than the CLA sedan, but 30 L less than the outgoing Shooting Brake. However, it does include an added Frunk (front trunk) for an extra 101 L of storage space.
With all seats folded, overall storage space is 1,290 L. It also comes with standard roof rails, which Mercedes claims can easily fit surfboards or bicycles with a 75 kg (165 lbs) load capacity.
Inside, the new Shooting Brake is nearly identical to the CLA Sedan. It features the new Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) with its fourth-gen infotainment.
The setup includes a 14″ infotainment and 10.25″ driver display screens. An extra 14″ passenger screen is available. A trim piece with star-pattern graphics replaces it if not. All three screens are powered by the latest-gen chips and graphics from Unity Game Engine.
Powered by the new Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture and an 85 kWh battery, the new Shooting Brake EV offers up to 473 miles (761 km) WLTP range.
It will be available in single and dual-motor powertrains. The base CLA 250+ Shooting Brake has 268 hp (200 kW) output and a WLTP range of up to 473 miles (761 km). Meanwhile, the dual-motor CLA 350 4MATIC Shooting Brake has combined 349 hp (260 kW) and a range of up to 454 miles (730 km).
Based on its 800V architecture, the new electric estate can add 193 miles (310 km) WLTP driving range within 10 minutes. Mercedes said that should be plenty to get from Geneva to Milan or Berlin to Hamburg.
Mercedes will introduce new EV variants in early 2026, followed by a 1.5 L hybrid model. Prices will be revealed closer to launch, but it’s expected to start slightly higher than the current model. The current CLA Shooting Brake starts at around €40,000 ($46,500) in Europe.
Following the new CLA and CLA Shooting Brake, Mercedes-Benz plans to launch two SUVs. Check back soon for more info on the upcoming lineup.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Rivian today announced a partnership with Google Maps on a new navigation system for its electric vehicles.
Rivian will continue to offer its own customized navigation interface on the 15.6-inch center touchscreen, but the underlying data is now powered by (the Automotive SDK from) Google Maps instead of third-party alternatives. Rivian cites customer feedback in making this change:
Instead of doing some small incremental improvements, we wanted to profoundly change our solution so that we make it the best navigation solution in the industry by combining strengths from both teams.
End users will benefit from fresh Google Maps traffic and “much better” routing (with improved ETAs and rerouting) information that includes crowd-sourced reports about construction, accidents, and other road disruptions. Rivian will also now show Google Maps satellite imagery in a sizable upgrade.
Rivian has already been using Google Maps for place information (hours, photos, ratings, etc.) and will now let you “tap on places of interest right on the map and learn more about hours, reviews, and contact information with just a tap.” More broadly, Rivian builds on top of Android Automotive OS and offers YouTube, as well as Google Cast.
Whether you’re about to embark on a long road trip or just trying to find the quickest way to run errands around town, navigation should be seamless, accurate and helpful.
Rivian owners will continue to have vehicle and condition-specific range EV estimates, as well as detailed information about charging stops.
Meanwhile, this Google Maps upgrade comes with a new design language that Rivian says “celebrates natural spaces in its topography and colors —from green parks to deep blue lakes and oceans.” There are also enhancements to “glanceability and easier access to information.”
These updates are also coming to the Rivian mobile app. Specifically, users can see traffic and traffic incidents, place photos/descriptions and satellite view (with a Connect+ subscription). Destination and trip sharing remains available.
Rivian Navigation with Google Maps is beginning to roll out today.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
People look at iPhones at the Apple Fifth Avenue store in New York City on May 23, 2025.
Adam Gray | Reuters
Apple and miner MP Materials announced a $500 million deal Tuesday for rare earth magnets and the development of a recycling facility that will reinforce the iPhone maker’s U.S. supply chain.
MP Materials stock climbed 23%. Shares of Apple were marginally higher.
As part of the agreement, Apple will buy rare earth magnets created at the company’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Both companies will combine on a new rare earth recycling line in Mountain Pass, California. MP Materials plans to start shipping magnets in 2027.
“American innovation drives everything we do at Apple, and we’re proud to deepen our investment in the U.S. economy,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a press release. “Rare earth materials are essential for making advanced technology, and this partnership will help strengthen the supply of these vital materials here in the United States.”.
Apple said the deal will create dozens of new manufacturing and research and development roles.
Rare earth magnets are key components that make up everything from consumer electronics such as smartphones and computers to cars and renewable energy systems.
For years, the U.S. has worked on curbing its reliance on China, which dominates the global rare earth elements supply chain. MP Materials operates the only rare earth mine in the U.S.
Earlier this month, the Department of Defense became the largest shareholder in the rare earth miner, buying $400 million in preferred stock to improve rare earth magnet supply on American soil.
Apple announced a plan to invest more than $500 billion to beef up U.S. manufacturing capabilities earlier this year. The plan included a new factory for artificial intelligence servers in Texas.
Shares of MP Materials have nearly quadrupled since the start of the year, pushing the miner’s market capitalization to nearly $10 billion. The stock has nearly doubled over the last month.
WATCH: Pentagon invests in MP Materials, guarantees floor price for rare earth minerals
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike