Customers inquire and try out a Model Y car displayed at a Tesla store in Shanghai. Photo: Yang Hui/GT

 

A driving school in Shanghai recently launched a new training service for Tesla drivers prompted by the proposal of Tesla's China Vice President Tao Lin to strengthen consumer education in driving after several accidents involving Tesla vehicles happened across China. 

The Shanghai-based driving school—Paixueche—told the Global Times that they launched the new service on Wednesday following quite a few students' consultations about driving Tesla vehicles. Besides, training services for Tesla vehicles have become a trending topic for online driving school shops on Tmall recently, said Yang Shun, director of e-commerce operations of the company. 

From protesters at the Tesla booth of 2021 Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition in April to the recent deadly crash of a Tesla vehicle in Shaoguan, South China's Guangdong Province last Friday, several traffic accidents across the country sparked people's concerns over the safety of Tesla vehicles. 

While Tao's proposal to strengthen consumer education in driving and suggestion to cooperate with driving schools and the country's transportation sector in an interview on May 10 ignited nationwide outrage, some driving learners and drivers do hope to gain a better understanding of the vehicle's capabilities. 

"Major content of the training service involves informing learners of more operation principles of Tesla vehicles to ensure they can drive safely since there are some differences between Teslas and traditional vehicles," said Hong Tiantian, director of Paixueche's new media department. 

Both learner drivers who have passed the driving theory and site driving skill test and drivers with a driving license can apply for this 10-hour training service priced at 2,000 yuan ($309.74). 

A new driver surnamed Yang in Shanghai agrees that such services are useful in helping drivers to get familiar with the operation and system of the vehicle. 

However, another driver in Shanghai surnamed Ou said she believes that such training services are actually just a publicity stunt since Tesla-related accidents did not occur due to drivers' driving skills. 

"They wouldn't have driven on the road if they were not familiar with the vehicles' operations and capabilities," Ou said, adding that if a driver has to be trained for a new type of car, designated drivers have to be trained for all kinds of vehicles. 

Ou suggested that Tesla should provide free driving services for consumers. "After all, when you buy a home appliance, the installation worker will instruct you on how to use the appliance."

Statistics from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) show that Tesla sold 25,845 EVs in April in the Chinese market, down 27.15 percent from March's 35,478 vehicles. CPCA pointed out that the US-based electric carmaker is still planning to export a record-high 14,174 cars made in Shanghai to other countries due to the overall strong performance of new energy vehicle exports this year.