A Swedish Tesla owner not only has to pay 700,000 kroner for attempted insurance fraud. He has also been convicted of it after his ex-wife revealed it.
A Tesla owner in Sweden has been convicted of insurance fraud after his ex-wife exposed him with a video recorded on her cellphone.
The video shows how the man deliberately leaves his seat in the driver's seat and lets the Tesla drive on autopilot, after which the car goes astray.
The incident took place in August last year on route 56 outside the town of Tärnsjö. The 35-year-old man was driving his Tesla while his then-wife was in the back seat. The man decided to test the car's autopilot function and so he 'jumped' into the passenger seat.
All while the ex-wife filmed it all. After a few seconds, the Tesla started beeping and deactivated the autopilot. The man tried to intervene from the passenger seat, but it was too late. The car collided with the guardrail.
When the man reported the accident to the insurance company, he claimed that the car had skidded and the wheels had locked. He failed to mention that he had activated the autopilot and left the driver's seat.
This is what Sala Allehanda writes.
The husband and ex-wife later divorced, and in connection with the divorce, the ex-wife handed over the video of the incident to the police. The video revealed the husband's attempts at insurance fraud and grossly negligent driving.
The case ended in the High Court, where the man was found guilty. He received a suspended sentence and 200 hours of community service. In addition, he must pay 716,570 Swedish kronor in compensation to the insurance company for the fraud.
In court, the man claimed that he believed the Tesla automatically sent the video of the incident to the insurance company. He also alleged that his ex-wife drugged him with a drink, but this claim could not be proven.
There are enough stupid drivers on the road. For example, a new study has revealed that only 6 out of 10 drivers know when to use their turn signals.
And speaking of stupid drivers, Audi had to recall almost 100,000 electric cars in the US by 2023 because owners kept charging their cars incorrectly. Specifically, Audi owners were charging their cars via undersized sockets.
Something that could ultimately lead to meltdowns and short circuits. The car brand would have solved the problem with a warning label on the cars, but that wasn't enough.