Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ fraud lawsuit gets first hearing in China — 10 owners seek $583K

A Beijing court recently held the first hearing in a consumer fraud lawsuit against Tesla involving 10 owners seeking over 3.95 million yuan ($583,000) in damages. The plaintiffs allege that Tesla sales staff and CEO Elon Musk assured them that "Full Self-Driving" capability was imminent and that the price would increase, motivating their purchase. However, the owners claim the system has not received regulatory approval in China and cannot perform the functions promoted in marketing. They argue Tesla concealed hardware limitations to sell vehicles, specifically excluding owners of older HW3.0 vehicles from the initial rollout. Under China's Consumer Rights Protection Law, they are seeking full refunds plus triple damages. Tesla disputed the allegations, claiming some FSD functions are "fully operational" while others are "partially functional." This case is significant as it follows Tesla's recent renaming of its system to "Tesla Assisted Driving" in China, which the plaintiffs argue is an admission that the original branding was misleading. The lawsuit adds to Tesla's growing global legal exposure over its self-driving claims, with the company facing up to $14.5 billion in worldwide lawsuits.

(Source：Electrek)