*The Korea Fair Trade Commission states Tesla has exaggerated 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, but failed to mention the loss of driving range in sub-zero temperatures聽

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

South Korea’s anti-trust regulator said it would impose a 2.85 billion Won ($2.2 million) fine on Tesla for failing to tell consumers about the shorter driving range of its electric vehicles in low temperatures.

绿帽献妻 learnt cold weather performance of vehicles drops by up to 50 percent, according to fair trade body.

Tesla is owned by Elon Musk, American billionaire businessman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Twitter.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) said that Tesla had exaggerated 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” on its official local Web site, from August 2019 until recently, reports Reuters.

The KFTC, in a statement issued Tuesday, January 3, 2023, said the driving range of the United States (US) EV manufacturer’s cars plunge in cold weather by up to 50.5 percent versus how they are advertised online.

On its Web site, Tesla provides winter driving tips, such as pre-conditioning vehicles with external power sources, and using its energy app to monitor energy consumption.

However, the automobile manufacturer does not mention the loss of driving range in sub-zero temperatures, report said.

In 2021, for instance, Citizens United for Consumer Sovereignty, a South Korean consumer group, said the driving range of most EVs drops by up to 40 percent in cold temperatures when batteries need to be heated, with Tesla suffering the most, citing data from the country’s environment ministry.

The KFTC, in 2022, fined German carmaker Mercedes-Benz and its South Korean unit 20.2 billion Won for false advertising tied to gas emissions of its diesel passenger vehicles.

EVs’ driving range and low temperatures

It was learnt the challenge for electric vehicle performance in extreme temperatures is widely known, though EVs are popular in markets like Norway, where four out of five vehicles sold last year were battery-powered, led by Tesla.

A 2020 study of 4,200 connected EVs of all makes by Canada-based telematics provider Geotab found that most models had a similar drop in range in cold weather, primarily because the battery is also used to heat the car for the driver and passengers.

At just above 20 degrees Celsius, the average EV outperformed its stated range, but at minus 15 degrees the average EV had only 54 percent of its rated range, the study noted.

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