Chinese-Made Tesla Breaks on Its Own During a Cold Day

Reports of the rear windows shattering in the Tesla Model Y RWD (Rear-Wheel Drive), a midsize SUV model of the American electric car brand Tesla, are causing controversy.

On the 20th, several posts appeared on online communities stating that the rear window of the Tesla Model Y RWD had unexpectedly shattered. The photos shared by netizens showed the edges of the vehicle’s rear windows appearing as if they had got into an accident, with damaged cars in various states of disrepair.

The car owners who posted these incidents all insisted that there had been no occurrence of an accident, leading them to speculate that the phenomenon was due to the ‘spontaneous breakage’ of tempered glass. One owner, who shared CCTV footage, said, “When I checked the CCTV, it just broke on its own,” expressing their absurd feelings.

The term ‘spontaneous breakage’ refers to a phenomenon where tempered glass shatters or breaks of its own accord, without any external impact, due to some reason such as high temperatures or cold weather. This phenomenon is primarily reported in PC cases or shower booths that use tempered glass.

The tempered glass used by Tesla, and in shower booths, is a type of glass that has been reheated to a softening point and then rapidly cooled with cold air to increase its strength. However, due to these characteristics, spontaneous breakage often occurs when there are sudden changes in the surrounding temperature, due to contraction and expansion.

The Model Y RWD is a mid-size SUV from Tesla, launched in March 2020. The Model Y RWD is manufactured in Shanghai, China. Netizens noted that the broken glass pieces all seemed to have come from a common source: “The damaged glass all used glass from Chinese company F,” they said. Some have raised concerns about quality control, pointing out that the glass used in the damaged Tesla vehicles is from China.

Tesla Korea has not issued a specific opinion on this matter. In the meantime, car owners are suggesting that it might be best to avoid parking outdoors.

Meanwhile, the Model Y RWD, which was launched in South Korea last July, is equipped with a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and produced at a factory in Shanghai, China. It has been noted as a cost-effective Tesla model made in China.

By. Go Gi Jung