Tesla remotely disabled fast-charging on damaged cars, owner’s legal challenges dismissed

Open Justice multimedia journalist, Nelson-Marlborough·NZ Herald·25 Oct, 2026 09:00 PM5 mins to read‌Tesla disabled the fast charging on two damaged, second-hand cars bought by Peter Goodricke when he switched on his app and software updates downloaded. He challenged the decision in the Disputes Tribunal and now the High Court has dismissed his claim for judicial review. Photo /123rfTesla has pulled the plug on the owner of two second-hand cars it felt weren’t safe to charge, in case the batteries caught fire. The US automotive company, which has service centres in New Zealand, activated the “disable” button on the cars’ fast-charging function when it learned the written-off vehicles