The French Ministry of the Economy has found that Tesla violated the law in several ways related to “deceptive business practices,” and has ordered the company to comply in 4 months or face a fine for every day it does not.

The investigation started in 2023, in response to several reports through France’s consumer complaint service SignalConso.

It concluded today, and French authorities from the DGCCRF (Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention) division of the Ministry of the Economy found several examples of ways that Tesla had misled customers or otherwise failed to comply with French consumer protection laws.

A summary of the ruling in French is available here, and here are the bullet points via browser translation:

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• Sales contracts without date or deadline or place of delivery of the vehicle and not mentioning payment on credit;
• Payments required before the end of the withdrawal period enjoyed by the consumer when he finances his purchase with an assigned credit;
• Absence of receipt valid in the event of partial cash payment;
• Misleading business practices regarding the fully autonomous driving capacity of TESLA vehicles, the availability of certain options and vehicle trade-in offers;
• Failure to refund within the deadlines of orders for which consumers have exercised their right of withdrawal;
• Lack of prior information on delivery methods and in particular its place;

France has given Tesla 4 months to comply with its order. If it doesn’t, France will fine the company 50,000 euros ($58k USD) per day.

Most of these bullet points deal with the ordering and delivery process, and it seems that French authorities took issue with the haphazard nature in which Tesla vehicle deliveries can often happen. They took issue with Tesla’s incomplete sales contracts, sudden and/or repeatedly changing delivery times or locations (and the value of trade-in offers), and failure to refund deposits in a timely manner.

But the meatiest bullet point there is the one about “misleading business practices,” especially given this weekend’s news of Tesla’s Robotaxi launch in Austin.

France finds that Tesla lied about FSD

French authorities found that Tesla had misled customers “regarding the fully autonomous driving capacity of TESLA vehicles.”

Since 2015, Tesla has sold some sort of partial automation to the public. This started in the form of Autopilot, which was released in the US in late 2015 and focused on highway driving only (though it came later to France than the US). More recently, Tesla’s focus has been on Full Self-Driving, or FSD, which is more capable than Autopilot and works on surface streets as well as highways.

Tesla has sold FSD software for various prices over the years, as high as $15,000. It currently sells “Capacité de conduite entirément autonome” in France for 7,500 Euros.

The problem is: this software does not, in fact, drive you entirely autonomously. It is, at the moment, a “level 2” driver assist function, which still requires a driver in the driver’s seat to take full responsibility for the vehicle. Higher levels, 3 and above, could be considered “self-driving,” where the car takes responsibility at certain times, and above level 4, there’s no requirement for a driver to even be in the driver’s seat.

Another wrinkle is that even the driver-assist version of FSD is currently not active in France. There has been a long process to bring FSD to Europe (here’s a recent report about how Tesla used a Dutch loophole to approve Autopilot in the first place), but it’s still not complete.

So, everyone who has bought the system in France has not yet been able to use it. Even if they could use the version that the US has, it would still not qualify as fully self driving.

In addition to this, Tesla has made several statements over the years suggesting FSD’s capabilities will be greater than they currently are. For example, in 2019, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said “if you buy a Tesla today, I believe you are buying an appreciating asset – not a depreciating asset.” He said this on the premise that FSD software would be so valuable that the price of cars that had it would skyrocket. In fact, he said it wouldn’t even be worth it for Tesla to sell cars anymore, because they’d be more valuable to use to make money as autonomous taxis.

Musk even promised that you, the customer, would be able to send out your car as an autonomous taxi to make you money, something that Tesla is now doing, but still not allowing customers to do. He has continued making the same promise, as recently as a few hours before this weekend’s Robotaxi launch.

Elsewhere in France, Tesla is also facing a lawsuit by a group of French Tesla owners who want to get out of their leases early due to Musk’s recent unwise political activity turning their vehicles into “far-right totems.”

Electrek’s Take

The complaints should not be particularly surprising to those who have followed Tesla for some time.

Mostly, they reflect the haphazard nature of Tesla’s vehicle ordering and delivery process which we have come to… love? hate? let’s go with “understand” over the years.

While Tesla does eschew dealerships and has made the vehicle ordering process much simpler in many ways, it’s also true that if there’s ever any reason for deviation from the plan, it’s pretty easy for customers to fall through the cracks and have little recourse. So, the reports of incomplete paperwork, rapidly-changing delivery times and so on should sound familiar to those of us who’ve been around for a while.

Same goes for failure to refund – Tesla has long tied a “reservation fee” to new vehicle announcements, which is often said to be fully refundable at any time. Some customers have had difficulty getting those refunds in a timely manner or at all.

The most interesting part about this order is how sweeping it is. Rather than finding fault in a single practice, it dings Tesla for a litany of issues that have been issues for a long time. Unlike the feckless enforcement that we often see in the US, France seems serious.

The fine is also substantial, but for one of the largest companies in the world (by market cap, anyway), it does seem absorbable. While ~$5 million per quarter is a fair chunk of change, it’s nothing compared to Tesla’s Q1 revenue of $19.3 billion or profit of $409 million.

But, given drastically falling sales in France, maybe it’s enough compared to the profits Tesla gets out of that territory. At a current sales rate of a few thousand cars per quarter, and given Tesla’s current ~2% profit margin and assuming an average selling price of somewhere around ~$60k, a fine of $5 million per quarter would basically eliminate any profits for the company from France.

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The new and improved 2026 Jeep Cherokee looks great, but will it be available as an EV? Jeep teased the new model on Tuesday, giving us a closer look at the updated SUV.

Is Jeep launching the new Cherokee as an EV?

After global sales slipped for the sixth straight year in 2024, Jeep is planning a comeback. The rugged SUV maker is revamping its lineup with a fresh look and new powertrain options.

Last month, we got our first glimpse of the 2026 Grand Cherokee, the best-selling full-size SUV in the US. The new model features a reimagined seven-slot grille, sleek front end, and slim LED headlights, giving the full-size SUV a more modern feel.

The 2026 Grand Cherokee will be available in two-row, three-row L, and a plug-in hybrid 4xe configurations, but not in a fully electric option.

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Will the new Cherokee launch with an all-electric (EV) version? Like the Grand Cherokee, Jeep is upgrading the smaller SUV for the 2026 model year, and with it could be its first EV option.

The 2026 Jeep Cherokee will be built on Stellantis’ STLA Large platform, enabling a range of powertrain options, including EV and hybrid.

Jeep’s first electric SUV, the Wagoneer S, is underpinned by the same platform, which enables a range of around 300 miles.

Jeep confirmed the new Cherokee will “redefine North America’s most popular vehicle segment, bringing midsize SUV customers a new, efficient and powerful hybrid propulsion option,” but an EV variant cannot be ruled out.

After reaching out to the company for more info, Jeep told Electrek that more details about the 2026 Cherokee’s propulsion will be shared soon. Check back soon for more information. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.

Jeep currently offers one fully electric SUV, the Wagoneer S, in the US. Earlier this year, Jeep introduced a new Limited trim, starting at $66,995, or $5,000 less than the Launch Edition.

Later this year, it will launch the Recon EV, an electric SUV inspired by the Wrangler. A recent patent published by the USPTO suggests that Recon could deliver more off-road power than initially anticipated.

Looking to test Jeep’s electric SUV out for yourself? Jeep has a few deals worth checking out right now, including $11,000 in lease cash plus employee pricing. Check out our link to view 2025 Jeep Wagoneer S models at a dealer near you (trusted affiliate link).

ONYX Motors has just announced the second version of its storied RCR electric moped launched since the brand’s revival late last year. The new ONYX RCR 80V pushes the bike to its highest performance yet, breaking new power and speed records for the company while simultaneously raising questions about how to properly classify these fast electric motorbikes with pedals – and just who they’re for.

The ONYX RCR 80V is built on a similar foundation to the previous RCR LTD, but with several modifications, including the namesake higher-voltage battery.

The new RCR replaces the previous 72V system with a higher-voltage 80V setup, capable of both higher power and higher speed. The moped now pushes past the previous 60 mph (96 km/h) rating, reaching above 65 mph (105 km/h).

The acceleration has also received a notable increase. It now attains speeds of 30 mph (48 km/h) in just 1.7 seconds. The 8 kW nominally-rated rear hub motor puts out a screaming 18 kW of peak power, enabling that impressive acceleration.

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The motor is powered by a large 3.6 kWh battery, which is relatively large for a two-wheeler with pedals. The range is claimed to be anywhere between 55 miles (88 km) in Sport mode and 130 miles (209 km) in Eco mode.

While the RCR does feature functional pedals, they’re not necessary to power the bike. If that battery ever does run dry on your way back home, the heavy bike could theoretically be pedaled in the low single-digit miles per hour. Your poor quads, though.

Speaking of pedaling, the ONYX RCR 80V moped design borrows heavily from both the bicycle and motorcycle worlds.

The bike rides on an aluminum frame and sports a pair of hydraulic disc brakes on 220 mm rotors, further assisted by powerful regenerative braking from the rear hub motor. The 17″ cast aluminum rims wear 4″ fat tires, and both benefit from suspension – an inverted fork in the front is matched with adjustable dual coil-over shocks in the rear.

A 16-inch (40 cm) bench seat with 2 inches (5 cm) of foam offers tush comfort, and the seat is adjustable forwards and backwards to suit riders of different heights.

A light package includes an LED headlight with high/low beams and a halo daytime running light, as well as an LED tail light plus front and rear turn signals. A TFT touch screen display offers cell phone mirroring that allows riders to see their GPS directions displayed directly on the moped’s screen. A high dB alarm is included standard, and a physical key locks the battery cover to ensure only the owner can remove it for charging.

Pricing starts at US $4,699, marked down from the MSRP of $4,999. The bike is available in three colorways via removable side panels, offering the standard Lunar Silver color as well as $50 add-ons for Space Black or Cosmic Gold panels.

High-speed, two-wheeled electric transportation is becoming increasingly popular among young adults in the US, who see powerful electric motorbikes as fun, affordable alternatives to traditional car ownership. While some companies like Ryvid come from the motorcycling world and have attempted to push electric motorcycles downmarket with more commuter-friendly specs and prices, ONYX takes the alternative strategy of pulling powerful electric bikes and mopeds upmarket with higher speeds and sportier performance than typically found in the electric bicycle industry.

As ONYX founder and Chief Design Officer Tim Seward explained to me, that approach was chosen to give riders the most flexibility with how and where they ride their mopeds.

“The RCR 80V, much like our RCR 72V, comes locked at 20 mph and 750W when shipped to our customers,” explained Tim. Technically speaking, that does fulfill the requirements of a Class 2 electric bicycle in most states, though some states like California have enacted stricter laws that preclude the use of e-bikes that have been designed to be capable of unlocking higher speeds or power levels. In that case, ONYX has a solution.

“The owner of the bike would need to register the bike as a moped or motor-driven cycle following their state’s specific guidelines, as each state has its own set of rules and regulations pertaining to how a vehicle can be ridden,” continued Tim. “We have observed that states like California and New York allow for an owner to register a one-time (lifetime) moped registration or opt for an annual motorcycle registration. In the event that an owner wants to ride strictly off-road, no registration would be required in any of the states.”

Many states have laws that carve out exceptions for mopeds or motor-driven cycles, which are generally faster and more powerful than electric bicycles, but don’t necessarily need to meet the regulatory standards of full motorcycles. These laws can often have speed or power limitations though, and they vary from state to state, further complicating the issue.

Despite ONYX’s mopeds not fully meeting the requirements for motorcycle safety standards at the federal level, this patchwork of moped and motor-driven cycle legislation does allow them to be legally registered and used on the road in some states.

According to Tim, this is all part of an effort to promote more practical two-wheeled transportation in the US. To that end, the company hopes to work directly with legislators to make that possible.

“It is ONYX Motors’ hope to see electric two-wheeled vehicles grow and be adopted at scale across the country.  Therefore, we want to work with local and federal government entities in coming up with a universally accepted, standard set of guidelines for all types of electric vehicles so that riders can enjoy their bikes in a transparent regulatory environment that protects them as well as others.”