REUTERS
July 29, 2020 at 12:00 JST
Tesla Model 3 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
SEOUL--South Korea said it is investigating suspected safety issues with vehicles made by U.S. automaker Tesla Inc., which is competing strongly with Hyundai Motor Co. in the South Korean electric vehicle market.
Braking and steering systems including the Autopilot function were part of the investigation, a transport ministry official said on Wednesday.
The ministry declined to elaborate but South Korean media said Tesla’s Model 3 was under investigation, and the probe might take anywhere from six months to a year.
Tesla would cooperate with the investigation, an official at its South Korean unit said.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board last year cited driver errors and Tesla’s Autopilot design as the probable cause of a January 2018 crash of a Model S in California.
In Hyundai’s home market, Tesla had its best month in June, with its Model 3 beating Hyundai’s Kona EV, as well as premium models from BMW and Audi.
Stories about memories of cherry blossoms solicited from readers
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
A series on the death of a Japanese woman that sparked a debate about criminal justice policy in the United States
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.