Some French customers of electric vehicle brand Tesla aren’t happy with the company’s CEO. A group of Tesla owners is taking the brand to court. Their grievance is with CEO Elon Musk, his role in the White House, and his actions, as well as his alleged support for the European far right.

The suit uses an interesting and somewhat obscure bit of French law, one that seems meant for exactly this situation, when a company leader’s actions become detrimental to the brand but don’t necessarily affect the product like it does for customers of vehicles like the Model 3. They now want to use this law to get out of leases early and sever all ties with the brand.

Owners Tired Of Association With Musk

“They don’t want to be associated anymore with Tesla or personified by Elon Musk and his recent political stances,” said Ivan Terel, a partner for Paris law firm GKA, who is representing the owners (via Politico).

Sales of Tesla vehicles have fallen off a proverbial cliff this year. In Europe, sales of the company’s EVs fell 49 percent in April versus the same month a year before, while sales of other-branded EVs skyrocketed. The trend started in February and has worsened in the months since.

But falling sales and a lowering in vehicle value aren’t at the root of the suit. It’s the image that now comes with the Tesla vehicles.

“Tesla vehicles have become powerful political symbols and are now perceived as true far-right ‘totems,’ much to the dismay of those who purchased them solely as innovative and eco-friendly vehicles”, the plaintiffs’ lawyers said in a statement.

The customers in question are looking to have their leases terminated and to recover legal costs and other damages from Tesla. They are citing “direct and concrete” harm caused by the actions and behaviors of Musk, which include his familiar-to-Europeans Nazi salute-like hand gesture at President Trump’s inauguration, his actions at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, and his active support of far-right German political party AfD.

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Plaintiffs Include Victims Of Musk Protest Vandalism

Tesla sales in France have fallen 67 percent versus May of 2024. There are brand boycotts, and Tesla dealers and drivers have been the focus of protests. Several of the plaintiffs have been the victims of that vandalism, with one finding their Tesla had been defecated on and another had been vandalized with a swastika, the lawyers said.

Business law in France has an interesting code that applies to these customers that would not apply to customers in the US. French civil law states that a seller has two obligations to a purchaser. One of those is the absence of hidden defects; the other is “the peaceful possession of the thing sold.” This has been code (Article 1625) since 1804.

“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”, GKA lawyer Patrick Klugman told AFP.

The suit has yet to be heard in court, though it will go before a commercial judge in Paris. The judge will decide whether the suit has merit, as well as whether other French residents affected can join.

Sources: France24, Politico