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French consumer issues and fraud investigators have ordered Tesla to stop the autonomous level of cars or the level of fines of thousands of euros in the latest blow to European Elon Musk’s car companies.
Investigators at the French Contest, Consumer Issues and Anti-Combustion (DGCCRF) said they discovered a series of violations and crimes that were unfair and against the law for consumers in 2023 and 2024.
An investigation by the agency found that Tesla is engaged in “deceived commerce practices” about the ability of Tesla vehicles to become “fully autonomous” and said it would deceive customers about the availability of certain options for the vehicle.
Other infringements identified by the DGCCRF included date, time or location of vehicle delivery, failure to provide a refund or receipt, and sales agreements in which customer failure to refund was not refunded in a timely manner.
The DGCCRF has called on Tesla to comply with the order within four months. He said the “special severity” of misleading practices surrounding self-driving cars means Tesla will face a fine of 50,000 euros per day.
The French investigation into Tesla’s autonomous driving technology comes as other regulators lifted the car company in practice.
In the US home market, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration continues to run multiple investigations into mask claims regarding Tesla’s autopilot and the capabilities of “fully autonomous” systems. Despite its name, the fully automated driving system, unlike Google’s Waymo taxi, still requires humans to sit in the driver’s seat and be fully aware.
The threat of fines is also the latest blow to Tesla in Europe. Here, sales have dropped dramatically in recent months as mask right-wing politics have led buyers to turn off the brand.
In France, Teslas sales fell 67% in May, compared to the new registrations since July 2022, according to data from industrial group Plateforme Automobile.
A small number of Tesla drivers are also suing the company to end the vehicle lease, claiming mask political activities, including giving obvious Nazi salutes and providing support to German far-right AFDs.
Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
