After a dream run that saw it receive backing from the highest levels of the Chinese state, Tesla Inc. is getting a reality check, with the automaker coming under fire for how it treats its customers in the world’s largest, and increasingly most competitive, car market.
The Palo Alto, California-based company earlier this week found itself on the pointy end of missives from two government entities, both of which criticized its attitude toward consumer service. The drubbing came after Tesla was the focus of a protest at the Shanghai Auto Show on Monday, during which the owner of one of its electric cars jumped on top of a display vehicle and yelled that she almost died because her car’s brakes failed.
