Tesla confiscated after reckless driving during test drive

A Tesla Y Performance has been confiscated by a Danish court after a 39-year-old man was caught driving at more than double the speed limit during a test drive, reports DR. The ruling has drawn sharp criticism from the automotive industry, which calls the decision “absurd” and demands legal reform.

The incident occurred in October last year in Køge, where police measured the Tesla travelling at 108 km/h in a 50 km/h zone. After accounting for measurement uncertainty—a standard deduction of 4 km/h—the man was charged with driving at 104 km/h, qualifying as reckless driving under Danish law.

The Roskilde Court ordered the confiscation of the vehicle, despite it being owned by a Tesla dealership and loaned to the man for a test drive. The car’s value is approximately 500,000 Danish kroner (around €67,000), a loss now borne by the dealership pending any compensation claim against the driver.

Thomas Møller Sørensen, director of Dansk Industri Bilbranchen (DI Car Industry), condemned the ruling, arguing it unfairly punishes an innocent business. “This is an absurd verdict exposing a flaw in our legislation. A dealership acting in good faith lending a car for a test drive should not have its property and livelihood confiscated because a customer speeds,” he stated.

DI proposes amending the law to ensure reckless drivers—not dealerships—bear financial responsibility. “If reckless driving occurs in a company-owned vehicle used for test drives or loaners, the driver should face a fine equal to the car’s value,” Sørensen said.

The 39-year-old driver received an unconditional 20-day prison sentence. He has two weeks to decide whether to appeal. Confiscation rules for severe traffic offences were tightened in 2021, explicitly allowing seizures even when the vehicle is not owned by the driver, such as in leasing cases.