French Tesla customers sue over brand becoming 'extreme right'
They feel they suffered "direct and concrete" damage from the way Teslas are now associated with "Elon Musk's actions", the GKA law firm said.
They are demanding the Paris commercial court order their lease contracts be terminated and legal costs reimbursed, it said in a statement, signed by lawyers Patrick Klugman and Ivan Terel.
The lawsuit comes as Tesla sales in the European Union have almost halved since the beginning of the year, a slump attributed to Musk's political activities.
Those activities include him -- until last week -- standing firmly with US President Donald Trump, and overseeing efforts to cut down US departments and agencies.
He has also lent public support to Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, and came under criticism for making a repeated gesture with an out-thrust arm interpreted by many historians to be a Nazi salute.
"Because of Elon Musk's actions... Tesla branded vehicles have become strong political symbols and now appear to be veritable extreme-right 'totems', to the dismay of those who acquired them with the sole aim of possessing an innovative and ecological vehicle," GKA said in a statement.
The perception of the Teslas they leased "prevents them from fully enjoying their car", it said.
Most of the leases run for four years, with an option at the end to buy the vehicle.
Tesla cars in Europe and elsewhere have been targeted by vandals, with some drivers reporting they have been insulted for using what is sometimes called on social media a "swasti-car".
Several owners have taken to putting stickers on their Teslas reading "I bought this before Elon went crazy".
"The situation is both unexpected and impossible for French Tesla owners," Klugman told AFP.
"Musk's political positions have interrupted enjoyment" of the vehicles, and "we believe that Mr Musk owes these buyers the peaceful possession of the thing sold", he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Vivatech 2025: How AI is shaping cybersecurity
06:09 From the show In this edition, FRANCE 24's Charles Pellegrin speaks with Benjamin Netter, co-founder of Riot. The French company provides real-time cybersecurity for over 1.5 million employees around the world and has raised $45 million since it was launched in 2020. Netter provides insights on the French tech ecosystem, the magnitude of cybersecurity threats in the age of artificial intelligence, and how AI can also be used to increase protection.
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Ryanair says will fine 'disruptive passengers' 500 euros
Europe's biggest airline by passenger numbers has previously hit out at "unruly" behaviour caused by travellers consuming excessive amounts of alcohol while waiting to board delayed flights. "Ryanair is committed to tackling unruly passenger behaviour for the benefit of its passengers and crew, and will continue to pursue disruptive passengers for civil damages, but at a minimum, they will now be issued with a 500-euro fine," Ryanair said in a statement Thursday. A spokesperson added that the penalty "will be issued to any passengers offloaded from aircraft as a result of their misconduct". Ryanair in January said that it had incurred costs of 15,350 euros as a result of a "disruptive passenger" on board a flight from Dublin to Lanzarote, in Spain's Canary Islands, last year. This was because the plane had to divert to the Portuguese city of Porto, where the passenger was arrested, and the more than 160 other travellers on board were provided with overnight accommodation and meals. Ryanair said it faced other costs, including the need for additional fuel and crew. The airline filed civil legal proceedings against the passenger in Ireland to recover its outlay. At the same time, it called on the European Union to limit the sale of alcohol at airports. Ryanair transported more than 200 million passengers in its last financial year to the end of March. It forecasts that the number will rise to 300 million by 2034.
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
'Genius' duo behind French multimillion-euro furniture scam found guilty
In Syria, women are now obliged to wear burkinis to public beaches. Burkinis are garments that cover the whole body, head to toe. British daily The Times writes that "Liberals fear setback" after the new regulation. This would mean Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa imposing a strict interpretation of Islam in the country, The Times says. The former al Quaeda commander toppled longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in December, promising that "Syria will not deeply intrude on personal freedoms" – a promise met with scepticism, the paper writes. Elsewhere in Syria, discontent is simmering among some supporters of the uprising against the country's ousted dictator. The New York Times writes about Syria's Committee for Civil Peace – a newly founded group cooperating with former Assad supporters to "restore calm". But supporters of the uprising against Assad regime accuse the new leaders of not holding the old regime to account. One source told The New York Times that many of them were hoping for "punishment of those who committed war crimes". The committee, however, says it's working to de-escalate tensions with Syria's minorities. But instead, the paper says it re-opens a simmering dilemma – "how to achieve justice and reconciliation in a population that endured decades of violent repression". Next, a post-Brexit deal has been reached over the future of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The British daily The Guardian writes that the deal between the UK and Spain is historic. Gibraltar is a disputed territory, located at the bottom of Spain. The new deal will make travel across the border with Spain much easier, with no land border checks. That's good news for the 15,000 people who cross the border every day. Many of them live in Spain but work in Gibraltar. The Times of London asks whether the deal is a "post-Brexit success", four years in the making. It could repair rocky relations, says the article, but it will be "closely scrutinised by Eurosceptics". Spanish daily El Periodico writes that "on paper" the deal puts an end to old disputes. With the fence finally demolished, Gibraltar will be more part of Spain and its territory will be "less alien" to Spanish people. It calls the deal a "moral victory" for Spain and a "concession" from the British side. De facto sovereignty, however, remains British, the paper reminds us. In France, a multimillion-euro furniture scam has been punished. The Guardian headlines "French furniture expert and restorer guilty of fake 18th-century chair scam". The two men faked furniture, including chairs, and claimed they were used by historic figures like Marie Antoinette. The Guardian calls it "one of the biggest forgery scandals to hit the French art world for decades". The two men scammed a Qatari prince and – most notably – the Palace of Versailles. French daily Le Télégramme writes that the "two genius forgers were convicted". Bill Pallot, the art expert in question, was sentenced to four years in prison, mostly suspended, and will have to pay a €200,000 fine. During the trial, he said: "We thought we'd do it for fun, to see if the art market could see (...). It went like clockwork". In its title, Le Parisien uses his nickname - "le Père la chaise" - a wordplay on the famous Parisian cemetery. The nickname literally means "the father chair" or the father of chairs. Pallot got that nickname after writing a book about seats and chairs of the 18th century. That's where he got his chair expertise from, before committing the scam. Finally, designer dogs aren't as great as they seem, according to a new study. British daily The Telegraph says that researchers found that some popular dog breeds such as miniature poodles are more likely to experience acute diarrhea. All designer dogs are 34 percent more likely to have this issue, according to the study.
