For The Verge: Tesla owners in China are furious over price cuts — here’s why protests became the answer
This has proven especially true in China for existing Tesla customers, who are so unhappy about recently announced price cuts to the cars — discounts they missed out on when they bought their cars — they’ve been staging protests across the country for several days now.
Reuters and other outlets have reported that hundreds of Tesla owners gathered at showrooms and delivery centers in Shanghai on Saturday to express their anger over major price drops to the Model 3 and Model Y. Moreover, videos posted on social media platforms show protests in other Chinese cities like Chengdu, Henan, Wuxi, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen. These angry Tesla owners didn’t call it quits just because the workweek started up; apparently, dozens more protested on Tuesday at a Shanghai delivery center as well.
But according to academic experts on business and Chinese consumer culture who spoke to The Verge, these kinds of protests are not only common but are also part of a broader trend about the power of protest in China — and who or what can be protested at all.
