Former Model S owner says Tesla is suing him for negative social media posts

A former Tesla Model S owner who successfully sued the electric automaker for fraud will soon find himself in court. This time, it’s because of allegations that he damaged Tesla’s reputation through slander.

According to South China Morning PostHan Chao is now facing a libel lawsuit over $ 775,000 from Tesla. These claims focus on posts that were shared on the Chinese social media platform Weibo which, according to legal documents released by Chao, describe Tesla as a “thug,” “garbage” and “a charlatan.”

The news comes just days after Chinese courts upheld their judgment against Tesla in dismissing his appeal against Chao’s initial lawsuit alleging fraud.

In 2019, Chao purchased a used Tesla Model S directly from Tesla, one that would have been free from major accidents or structural damage. The Model S eventually had to be brought in for repair after it stopped while driving it, and when he had it evaluated by a third-party repair shop, traces of cuts and welds were found on the rear panels. – an indicator that it was in an accident.

Tesla argued in court that the accident was minor and said the car had no structural damage, which did not constitute fraud in its sale. The courts disagreed and, after dismissing Tesla’s recent appeal, awarded Chao about four times the car’s original selling price of $ 58,898 (RMB 379,700). In total, this earned Chao around $ 233,000 (1.5 million RMB).

Chao now says Tesla is taking him back to court, this time for libel for his public criticism of the automaker. Tesla says it tarnished its image and is asking for more than $ 775,000 (5 million RMB) in damages, going so far as to ask the courts to freeze its assets.

“Are you saying that even if you have to pay me over a million yuan in compensation, even though I am the victim, I cannot speak badly of you and I have to pay 5 million as a price?” Han wrote in an article on Weibo.

Meanwhile, Chao is also suing Tesla for libel. Bloomberg reports that Chao is seeking a $ 907,441 (RMB 5.85 million) judgment against the automaker for pitching him as the organizer of an event that took place earlier this year at the Paris Motor Show. Shanghai auto.

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