Tesla is reportedly facing an investigation by South Korea’s antitrust regulator which claims that the electric car maker exaggerated the mileage capability of some vehicles in its advertising. The investigation focuses on the driving range Tesla advertises for certain vehicles as opposed to what range is typically achieved in Korea’s cold winter climate.
Reuters reports that South Korea is investigating Elon Musk’s Tesla over claims that the company exaggerated the mileage capacity of some of its vehicles. An official from the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) told Reuters that the agency is investigating allegations that Tesla overstated the performance of its vehicle batteries.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveils the new Tesla factory in Fremont, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010. The new Tesla factory is the former NUMMI plant. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
In this photo provided by South Korea Presidential Blue House, South Korean President Moon Jae-in talks on the phone with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. Suga on Thursday held his first telephone call with his South Korean counterpart since taking office, telling Moon that the neighbors should work to resolve their strained relations.(South Korea Presidential Blue House via AP).
The KFTC official stated: “We plan to hold a meeting to decide the level of sanctions against the automaker.” Local South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that KFTC sent a review report to Tesla about its battery claims in its advertisements. The regulator believes these may have violated the Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising.
One of the vehicles cited was the Tesla Model 3, which is capable of driving up to 528 kilometers (328 miles) on a single charge according to Tesla’s South Korea website. But, the KFTC alleges that the driving range is decreased then temperatures fall below freezing.
According to Consumer Reports, cold weather can reduce an electric vehicle’s battery range by approximately 20 percent. Freezing temperatures slow down the chemical reactions in battery cells, forcing the car to use more energy to maintain the battery’s temperature. Breitbart News has previously reported on Consumer Reports’ investigation of winter driving range for electric vehicles.
The consumer watchdog wrote:
The main reasons driving range goes down in cold weather are the impact on battery chemistry when parked and the drain in order to maintain battery temperature and supply cabin heat. Cold temperatures can reduce an unplugged EV’s range by about 20 percent, according to testing by the Norwegian Automobile Federation, and recharging takes longer than in warm weather.
Running the cabin heater, seat heaters, defroster, and other accessories that combat the cold weather inside the car all sap range. For cold temperatures, what we have found is that 20° F and colder is when the range really drops. (Learn how to get the most out of your car’s heater.)
Tesla has faced scrutiny of its batteries in America as well. One NHTSA investigation focused on the chance of a battery-fueled fire when Tesla cars haven’t been involved in an accident.
As Breitbart News reported:
In a letter to Tesla’s legal department dated October 24, the NHTSA demanded that Tesla produce all documents relating to “high-voltage battery fires that are not related to collision or impact damage to the battery pack” in the Model S and Model X. This includes “all original written, printed, typed, recorded or graphic matter whatsoever … of every kind, nature and description,” such as papers, letters, memos, emails, charts, tables, appointment books, diaries, travel reports, blueprints, and over 100 other information sources.
Tesla was forced to update its Model S and Model X with a software update that limited the charging of the vehicles to 80 percent of their capacity after a Model S fire was reported in Hong Kong in May. The company said that this update due issue out of “abundance of caution” to “protect the battery and improve its longevity” but did not going into detail about what the issue with the batteries was.
Breitbart News will continue to report on Tesla and Elon Musk’s other ventures.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or contact via secure email at the address lucasnolan@protonmail.com
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