Recently, a Tesla owner uploaded a video claiming that the Chinese version of Tesla Model 3 is equipped with fewer knee airbags compared to the overseas version, which has attracted widespread attention.
According to the video circulating on the internet, the owner found that the overseas version of Model 3 is equipped with knee airbags, and some prominent figures in China also mentioned the knee airbags while introducing Model 3.
To verify this claim, the owner personally removed the knee shield of the co-driver’s seat, but did not find any airbags. With the last hope, the owner also removed the knee shield of the driver’s seat, but still found no knee airbags.
After that, the owner called Tesla’s customer service, and according to the recording of the call, Tesla’s customer service responded that knee airbags do not play a significant role in the safety of the entire vehicle, and the Chinese version does not have this feature. According to Tesla’s customer service, although knee airbags are not equipped, the Chinese version still passed the 2021 C-NCAP crash test and meets the standards, which can ensure the safety of owners.
Actually, what owners care about is not whether knee airbags are equipped or not, but why Tesla treats domestic and overseas markets differently. If knee airbags are useless, why are they only removed from the Chinese version but not the overseas version?
By checking Tesla’s official website, it was found that the North American version of Tesla is equipped with knee airbags, as seen in the above picture.
The Chinese version of Model 3 indeed does not have knee airbags. Interested friends can click on this link for detailed information on the owner’s manual of other models.
🔗Source: TikTok Tesla’s Official Owner’s Manual
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.