Tesla has been removed from the Charlotte, North Carolina, City Council’s list of pre-approved electric vehicles that the city can purchase.

It’s not because of Elon Musk, Democratic council member LaWana Mayfield said, who urged her colleagues to remove Tesla. Instead, she claims it is because of “safety issues.”

She said (via WFAE):

“So it is not just the particular owner of this product. It is the fact that this product has been in multiple lawsuits because of safety issues, and there are multiple concerns.”

Recent data from Tesla shows that its vehicles are about half as likely to be involved in an accident when being driven normally. When Autopilot technology is used, it is about ten times safer than the average driver in the U.S., statistically.

Tesla Vehicle Safety Report shows Autopilot is 10x better than humans

Republican City Council member Ed Driggs stood up for Tesla, saying that:

“I think we just set a dangerous precedent if we have reasons that aren’t related to the cost and the performance of purchased items for excluding them. We already have Teslas in the fleet.”

If they’re so dangerous, why are they already in the fleet?

The NHTSA also shows that Ford is the most recalled car company in 2025, with 81 total recalls. Tesla has just five for the year.

Driggs said to Mayfield during the meeting:

“We are not identifying names on this list. You are singling out one name on this list for political reasons. You don’t have enough data on Tesla compared to the other car companies to suggest they should be here. I object to trying to disguise this as anything other than a politically motivated desire to not have this name on this list.”

Tesla was successfully removed by a 6-3 vote. Democrats Danté Anderson, Malcolm Graham, Renee Johnson, Victoria Watlington, and Tiawana Brown supported Tesla’s removal. Republican Edwin Peacock, along with Driggs and Democrat Dimple Ajmera, all voted no on removing Tesla.

The City of Charlotte will buy 45 new electric vehicles, and Teslas would likely be the best option. Many local law enforcement agencies across the U.S. have utilized them and have shown that the vehicles contribute to massive maintenance and cost of ownership reductions due to the lack of overall upkeep.

Tesla police fleet is saving taxpayers $80k per year on fuel costs: report

This is not the first time that a city in the U.S. has chosen to go in a different direction with its EV fleet plans. Tesla was chosen over Ford by the City of Baltimore for a $5 million expenditure that would bolster its fleet with EVs.

However, earlier this year, Baltimore said it “decided to go in a different direction,” and although it was not directly confirmed, the move seemed to be political.

Tesla has been threatened by the Competition, Consumer Affairs, and Fraud Control Office in France after the agency said it is participating in “deceptive business practices” related to its semi-autonomous driving capabilities.

Investigators in the government office said that Tesla has engaged in deceptive commercial practices over the capabilities of its cars. In the past, other agencies and even some skeptics have said that Tesla’s use of the phrases “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving” is inaccurate in terms of its capabilities.

Tesla Autopilot gets stone cast in its direction by Pete Buttigieg

However, Tesla has been transparent with consumers and regulatory agencies that its cars are not yet fully autonomous, meaning drivers could sleep, play on their phones, or pay no attention to the road. The car would take care of steering and speed.

Tesla has never maintained that its cars are capable of this. On its website and in its Owner’s Manuals, it says that drivers are required to pay attention and be prepared to take over in case of an emergency.

The office began the investigation back in 2023 and, this week, ordered Tesla to comply with regulations within the next four months. If it does not, it will face fines of €50,000 per day.

This is not the first time Tesla has had some pushback from regulators regarding the naming of its semi-autonomous driving platforms. Back in 2023, then Secretary of Transportation in the United States, Pete Buttigieg, said the name “Autopilot” was not accurate because it is still a hands-on system:

“I don’t think that something should be called, for example, an Autopilot, when the fine print says you need to have your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times. We call balls and strikes. I view it as something where it’s very important to be very objective. But anytime a company does something wrong or a vehicle needs to be recalled or a design isn’t safe, we’re going to be there.”

He then said that Autopilot and its interaction with the person operating the car is a “real concern.”

Tesla launched its Robotaxi platform in a limited capacity earlier this week in Austin, Texas, and after hundreds of rides have been taken, some instances have caught the attention of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

However, the information the NHTSA is requesting is routine and totally normal for the early stages of a rollout of this magnitude. But that did not stop mainstream media from milking it into something controversial, when it really is not.

Tesla Robotaxi riders tout ‘smooth’ experience in first reviews of driverless service launch

Various outlets reported on the NHTSA’s request to Tesla for additional information regarding things seen in videos online.

The NHTSA said it is “aware of the referenced incidents and is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information.” Bloomberg initially reported on the NHTSA’s request for information.

The thing is, the NHTSA has often reached out to companies right after it launches a driverless vehicle service. Both Waymo and GM’s Cruise, as well as Amazon’s Zoox, have had the NHTSA reach out to them regarding the launch of their driverless ride-hailing services.

The headlines for Tesla are significantly different:

• “Tesla’s Robotaxis Have Already Caught this US Safety Agency’s Attention“
• “Tesla’s Robotaxis have already caught the attention of federal safety regulators“
• “US safety regulators contact Tesla over erratic robotaxis“

Reviews from riders in Austin have stated the Robotaxi platform is “smooth” and “comfortable,” with many ranting and raving about the advantages the new ride-hailing service has over others. Not only is it being monitored by a safety monitor in the passenger seat, but there are also other things that make it unique.

One of the most notable is that your Robotaxi will automatically sync entertainment and streaming settings.

The sensationalism that the media tends to use with Tesla is a big reason the company did not invite mainstream outlets to the event. Instead, reporters were seen waiting for Early Access invitees to exit their cars to ask them questions.

Many denied the inquiries:

“Can I talk to you, I’m with Reuters”

> No

🤣🤣 @BeardedTesla @SawyerMerritt pic.twitter.com/jGUdakGzx1

— Robin (@xdNiBoR) June 22, 2025

Elon Musk responded to that video by saying “Lmao,” an acronym for “laughing my ass off.”