South Korean board fines Tesla for misquoting range of EVs

MANILA: According to a Reuters story, Tesla will be fined 2.85 billion won ($2.2 million) for neglecting to inform its consumers that their electric vehicles (EVs) have a lower driving range when it is cold outside.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) alleged that Tesla inflated on its official local website from August 2019 until recently the "driving ranges of its cars on a single charge, their fuel cost-effectiveness compared to gasoline vehicles, as well as the performance of its Superchargers."

The KFTC said in a statement that the driving range of the US EV manufacturer's vehicles drops in cold weather by up to 50.5% compared to how they are advertised online.

While Tesla offers winter driving advice on its website, such as pre-conditioning cars using external power sources and using its revised Energy app to track energy use, it does not address the reduction in driving range in below-freezing temperatures.

The driving range of most EVs decreases by up to 40% in cold weather when batteries need to be heated, with Tesla suffering the most, according to Citizens United for Consumer Sovereignty, a South Korean consumer group, which used data from the nation's environment ministry in 2021.

Although EVs are popular in areas like Norway, where four out of every five vehicles sold last year were battery-powered, with Tesla leading the way, it is well known that electric vehicle performance in severe temperatures fluctuates.

The majority of vehicles had a comparable decrease in range in cold weather, partly because the battery is also used to heat the vehicle for the driver and passengers, according to a 2020 study of 4,200 connected EVs of various makes and models by Canadian telematics supplier Geotab.

The average EV performed better than its claimed range at temperatures just above 20 degrees Celsius, but only 54% of that range was available at minus 15 degrees, according to the study.

Tesla was founded in 2003 with the intention of producing electric vehicles and other cutting-edge technology. Nikola Tesla, an inventor and electrical engineer, is honored by the company's name.

Musk has served as Tesla CEO since 2008. Tesla began production of its first car model, the Roadster sports car, in 2009.

The Tesla Model S sedan, Model X SUV, Model 3 sedan, and Model Y crossover all came after the Roadster, debuting in 2012, 2015, 2017, and 2020, respectively.

According to reports, the Tesla Model 3 is currently the best-selling plug-in electric vehicle in the world and became the first electric vehicle to sell 1 million units globally in June 2021.

The estimated all-electric range of the Tesla Model 3's base model is 438 kilometers, while that of the long range model is 576 kilometers. Tesla claims that the Model 3 has fully functional self-driving technology, with regular software updates bringing on new features.

Photos from Tesla

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