In the past six years, Tesla has never been recalled due to fire risk, and the probability of a Tesla catching fire is only one-eighth that of a gasoline car, said Grace Tao, VP of the EV maker.

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) has significantly stepped up its marketing efforts in China since last week, as it tries to capitalize on the year-end car-buying season to boost sales.

Grace Tao, vice president of external affairs for the US electric vehicle (EV) maker, emphasized the safety of Tesla's models in a Weibo post today, marking yet another time that she's described the company's products in an assertive tone.

The Model 3 received the highest ratings of 5 stars on both the China electric vehicle fire safety index and the automotive fire safety certification, Tao wrote in a Weibo post today.

In the past six years, Tesla has never been recalled globally due to "fire risk," she said.

The probability of a Tesla catching fire is only one-eighth that of a gasoline car, and that covers building fires and human arson, Tao said.

"Safety is a top priority for Tesla in building our cars. We continue to push the limits of vehicle safety through continuous technological innovation and stringent manufacturing standards," she wrote in Chinese.

Whether it's the Model 3, which starts at just over RMB 200,000 yuan ($27,510), or the Model X Plaid, which is currently the highest-priced Tesla vehicle, comes standard with all safety-related software and hardware, Tao said.

"When you buy a Tesla, you are buying into the world's top vehicle safety package," she said.

Tesla's official Weibo account retweeted Tao's Weibo post and emphasized that a Tesla is only one-eighth as likely to catch fire as a gasoline car.

Tao has not been active on Weibo over the past year, although she has about 1.32 million followers on the social media platform. Most of the content she had occasionally shared previously was official announcements.

Last week, Tao's style on Weibo has begun to change noticeably, using more of an assertive tone that can easily go viral.

On November 28, Tao said in a Weibo post that Tesla China's payment cycle for supply chain partners in 2024 had been shortened again from last year, and that it would now take only about 90 days.

A chart she attached to her Weibo at the time showed that Tesla's payment cycle to suppliers in 2023 was about 100 days, while four other unnamed new energy vehicle (NEV) makers were all over 150 days.

The November 28 Weibo quickly generated a lot of discussion, as well as local media coverage, increasing Tesla's exposure in China.

Since then, she has posted several other Weibo posts emphasizing Tesla's focus on safety and the many details that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Tao's series of Weibo comes as China's auto market enters its peak season, with EV makers, including Tesla, pushing year-end sales higher through increased marketing.

In Tesla's case, it announced on November 25 that it was offering limited-time discounts on the Model Y in the country and extending five-year, 0 percent interest financing to December 31.

Tesla China sold 78,856 vehicles in November, including those sold in China and those exported from China to overseas markets, according to data released yesterday by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

That's up 15.49 percent from 68,280 in October but down 4.34 percent from 82,432 in the same month last year.

The CPCA didn't mention Tesla's deliveries in China or exports in November, but according to some local media reports, it sold more than 73,000 units in China in November, up 12 percent year-on-year and up 82 percent from October.

In the January-October period, Tesla sold 500,685 vehicles in China, up 8.29 percent year-on-year.

($1 = RMB 7.2693)

Tesla China's payment cycle to suppliers shortened to 90 days, exec says