Tesla takes legal action against Sweden over licence plate boycott

Tesla has decided to sue the Swedish Transport Administration and Postnord over the ongoing strike by IF Metall and other unions in Sweden, which has prevented the car giant from obtaining licence plates for its cars.

A month ago, the IF Metall union went on strike against Tesla to demand a collective agreement, which the US car giant has yet to sign. However, the ST and Seko unions’ solidarity has resulted in the carmaker being denied licence plates by stopping mail delivery to Tesla.

Now, Elon Musk’s company is suing both the Swedish Transport Agency and Postnord, demanding that the Swedish Transport Agency ensure the plates are delivered.

“This seizure of licence plates constitutes a discriminatory attack without any legal support whatsoever directed against Tesla”, the American electric car giant stated in documents submitted to Norrköping District Court on Monday.

Tesla also wants the right to collect the plates directly from the manufacturer, Scandinavian Motorcenter, during the legal proceedings.

The company is also suing Postnord through its Swedish subsidiary, TM Sweden.

“This dispute is about a very serious, almost system-threatening, behaviour at Postnord”, Tesla wrote in the lawsuit, according to the Swedish press.

As of Monday, the Swedish Transport Administration had not yet received the documents from the district court, but according to Anna Berggrund, head of the agency’s vehicle information department, the signs can only be distributed by post under current regulations.

“We have a contract with the National agency for legal, financial and administrative services, which we are obliged to follow. In this case, it is primarily via Postnord that the signs should go,” Berggrund told the Swedish press.

“We have also stipulated in the agreement with the supplier who manufactures the signs that they cannot be collected over the counter. This is for security reasons so that we can ensure who receives the signs”, she added.

According to Postnord press officer Anders Porelius, the issue is currently between the Swedish Transport Agency and Tesla.

“We’ll have to see what happens, but at the moment, it’s the Swedish Transport Agency that has to answer all questions,” he commented.

(Charles Szumski | Euractiv.com)

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