Italy’s competition authority, Autorita Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM), launched probes into Tesla, BYD, Stellantis, and Volkswagen. AGCM is investigating the four automakers for unfair commercial practices.
Tesla, BYD, Stellantis, and Volkswagen are under investigation for allegedly misleading customers about the performance of their electric vehicles. According to AGCM, the car makers provided information to customers about “EV driving range, battery capacity degradation, and limitations on standard battery warranties, potentially in breach of the Consumer Code.”
“The companies’ websites appear to have displayed generic – and at times contradictory – information regarding the driving range of their marketed electric vehicles, without clarifying which factors impact the advertised maximum range and the extent to which they affect the actual range,” said the agency.
AGCM also claimed the automakers’ websites did not provide “clear and complete information” about the capacity of their EVs’ batteries, which can degrade from everyday vehicle use, and the limitations of the warranties they offer customers.
On Thursday, February 20, 2025, AGCM went to each automaker’s Italian headquarters with Italy’s financial crimes police–aka Guardia di Finanza. The two Italian agencies inspected the factories.
The Italian competition agency is holding separate probes for each company.
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