BEIJING -- Electric carmaker Tesla has launched a recall of 14,684 vehicles in China due to software defects, China's top quality watchdog said.

The recall involves Model 3 Performance vehicles manufactured between Jan 12, 2019 and March 25, 2022, with 1,850 of them imported and 12,834 made in China, according to a statement from the State Administration for Market Regulation.

When switching to track mode, the central displays of the affected vehicles only show the speed value without the speed unit (km/h) due to a software error, which may increase the risk of collisions, thereby posing potential safety hazards, said the statement.

The Beijing and Shanghai branches of Tesla promised to update the software on the recalled vehicles free of charge.