South Korea‘s Fair Trade Commission stated it would fine Tesla 2.85 billion won ($2.2 million) for neglecting to inform its clients that their electric cars had a reduced range during cold weather, according to Fox Business.
Tesla’s alleged violations
The South Korean antitrust regulator also claims that Tesla misleads customers about the following from 2019 until recently:
· driving ranges of its EVs on a single charge
· fuel cost-effectiveness of its EVs compared to ICE vehicles
· Superchargers‘ performance
Reuters reported that Tesla EVs’ actual driving range reduces by up to 50.5% from what the automaker posted on its online platforms during cold weather, citing the Fair Trade Commission.
Meanwhile, Tesla encourages owners to use their vehicles’ “Scheduled Departure.” The details are under the “Winter Driving Tips” section, which instructs how to prepare Tesla EVs for use in cold weather.
“Proper preparation ensures that your vehicle is at the desired charge level and cabin temperature at the time of your departure, and that peak efficiency and performance are available from the moment you start driving. If your battery hasn’t preconditioned sufficiently, it will use some of its own energy to warm itself rather than contributing that energy toward your driving range.”
Tesla official website
Bad News for Tesla
The report was released as Tesla’s shares continued to decline in 2023 due to its failure to deliver analysts’ projections of 418,000. For reference, the automaker only delivered 405,000 EVs based on its latest delivery report on January 2.
Nonetheless, the year has only started. It would not be shocking if Tesla’s stocks would soon rebound as the automaker continues to launch innovative technologies.
