France orders Tesla to end ‘deceptive practices'
Tribune News Network
Doha
French anti-fraud authorities said on Tuesday they have ordered US electric car giant Tesla's local subsidiary to stop 'deceptive commercial practices' after an investigation found several violations harmful to consumers and contrary to law. The fraud prevention and consumer protection agency (DGCCRF) said its agents investigated Tesla's French subsidiary between 2023 and 2024 after reports were filed on a consumer complaint platform. The probe revealed 'deceptive commercial practices regarding the fully autonomous driving capabilities of Tesla vehicles, the availability of certain options and vehicle trade-in offers', it said.
The agency also cited delays in refunding cancelled orders, a lack of information on the location of deliveries and incomplete sales contracts, among other violations. Tesla was given four months to comply with regulations. It faces a daily fine of 50,000 euros ($58,000) if it fails to stop deceptive commercial practices over the fully autonomous driving option of certain Tesla models. Tesla did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. Tesla sales have tanked in Europe in recent months owing to an ageing fleet of cars, rising competition and consumer distaste for Elon Musk's role in US President Donald Trump's administration.
Tesla has completed its first fully autonomous car delivery, with a Model Y driving itself from the company's Texas factory to a customer's home.
Tesla's, opens new tab new car sales in Europe fell 27.9% in May from a year earlier even as fully-electric vehicle sales in the region jumped 27.2%, with the U.S. EV maker's revised Model Y yet to show signs of reviving the brand's fortunes.
Overall car sales in Europe rose 1.9%, with the strongest growth coming from plug-in hybrids and cars powered by alternative fuels, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) showed.
Tesla's European sales have now fallen for five straight months as customers switch to cheaper Chinese EVs and, in some cases, protest against Tesla CEO Elon Musk's politics.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Qatar Tribune
14 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Senate Republicans scramble to pass Trump's ‘Big Beautiful Bill'
Agencies Washington Senate Republicans were racing to pass a budget bill that is pivotal to President Donald Trump's second-term agenda ahead of a self-imposed July 4 deadline. Party leadership have been twisting arms for an initial vote on the 'Big Beautiful Bill' by Saturday afternoon, following the release of its latest version - all 940 pages - shortly after midnight. Republicans have been divided over how much to cut from welfare programmes in order to cover the cost of extending some $3.8tn in Trump tax breaks. The sprawling tax and spending measure narrowly passed the House of Representatives two weeks ago. In a memo sent on Saturday to Senate offices, the White House endorsed the latest revisions to the bill and called for its passage. The memo reportedly warned that failure to approve the budget 'would be the ultimate betrayal'. The latest version of the bill is designed to appease some backbench Republican holdouts. It includes an increase in funding for rural hospitals, after some party moderates argued the original proposal would harm their constituents. Another tweak was made to State and Local Taxes (Salt) - a bone of contention for representatives from high-tax states such as New York. There is currently a $10,000 cap on how much taxpayers can deduct from the amount they owe in federal taxes. In the new bill, Senate Republicans have raised the Salt limit to $40,000 for married couples with incomes up to $500,000 - in line with what the House of Representatives approved. But the latest Senate version ends the $40,000 cap after five years - when it would drop back to $10,000. The legislation still contains some of its core components, including extending tax cuts passed by Republicans in 2017, as well as the addition of new cuts that Trump campaigned on, such as a tax deduction on Social Security benefits and the elimination of taxes on overtime work and tips. More contentious measures are also still in place, including restrictions and requirements on Medicaid - a healthcare programme used by millions of elderly, disabled and low-income Americans. Democrats have heavily criticised this piece of the bill, saying it will limit access to affordable healthcare for millions of Americans. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 7.8 million people would become uninsured due to such Medicaid cuts. Senator Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, took to social media on Saturday to argue the bill contains 'the largest healthcare cuts in history'. Senate Majority Leader John Thune called a possible Saturday vote 'aspirational', and it is still unclear whether Republicans can advance the bill. One Republican senator from Wisconsin, Ron Johnson, told the Fox & Friends programme on Saturday he will be voting 'no', saying he still needed time to read it. 'We just got the bill,' Johnson said. 'I got my first copy at about 01:23 in the morning.'
Qatar Tribune
14 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
German government moves to speed up arms purchases amid Russia threat
BerlincTypeface:> Germany's government wants to accelerate the purchase of weapons and other defence equipment to ensure the country is able to counter any threats from Russia, according to draft legislation seen by DPA on Saturday. The main goal of the bill is to ensure 'the acceleration and simplification for all procurements for the Bundeswehr,' the Handelsblatt newspaper quoted from ministry circles. The Bundeswehr is Germany's military. According to the documents, certain urgent contracts should no longer be put out to tender at European level in future, but only at the national level, which should save time. It should also be possible to award contracts following tenders even if an unsuccessful bidder takes legal action against them. Until now, procedural issues have delayed the procurement of weapons by years in some cases. Legislators can also initiate a procurement procedure even if financing has not yet been secured. (DPA)
Qatar Tribune
14 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Syria plans to build new airports with modern technology
Damascus: The head of Syria's General Civil Aviation Authority, Ashhad Salibi, announced that the Syrian government is planning to build new airports and equip them with advanced technology. In an interview with Syrian state TV, Salibi said serious studies are under way to construct a new airport in Damascus and another one in Aleppo, noting that the current Aleppo airport cannot be expanded due to engineering limitations. Additionally, plans are in place for a new international airport in central Syria. Salibi explained that the Civil Aviation Corporation has been renamed the General Civil Aviation Authority, and is now directly affiliated with the Presidency. This change is part of a broader restructuring plan for the aviation sector, aiming to enhance oversight and supervision of airlines. He revealed that the Syrian national carrier had only two planes at the time of the government's recovery of certain areas, and was on the verge of shutting down due to a decline in operational capacity. Currently, the fleet consists of just three aircraft, which limits the airline's ability to expand destinations. As a temporary solution, one aircraft was leased, and more rentals are underway to fill the gap. Salibi noted that resuming flights to European airports requires technical and operational arrangements that could take several months. (Agencies)
