Tesla steps up engagement with Chinese regulators: Report

Tesla has faced consumer complaints in China of battery fires, unexpected acceleration and failed software updates.

United States-based electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc, facing scrutiny in China over safety and customer service complaints, is boosting its engagement with mainland regulators and beefing up its government relations team, industry sources have told the Reuters news agency. Tesla’s change of strategy leading to more behind-the-scenes interaction with policymakers in Beijing compared with relatively little previously shows the seriousness with which the automaker views the setbacks in its second-biggest market, Reuters reported on Monday. It also comes at a time when China is trying to regulate large and powerful private companies, especially in the technology sector, on concerns about their market dominance.