WHY TESLA WAS SLAPPED WITH A $2 MILLION FINE FOR FALSE ADVERTISING

Looks like Tesla is in trouble in South Korea. Elon Musk’s company was fined $2.2 million by the South Korea Fair Trade Commission for false advertising. The object of the dispute is that, according to the Korean body, Tesla lied about the battery life of its cars in extremely cold weather.

It is no mystery that electric cars struggle in a similar climate, so it is important that a brand is honest with its buyers about the performance of its product. But let’s see in more detail what happened and how Tesla’s promises proved far from the real performance of its vehicles.

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Elon Musk's Tesla Will Have To Pay A Hefty Fine

The original cost of the fine is ₩2.8 million, or $2.2 million. But why was Tesla fined so much? The main reasons listed by KFTC can be collected under the term "False Advertising". More specifically, Tesla would lie to its buyers about the range of its vehicles at low temperatures. The American company would therefore have provided a far too optimistic estimate of the duration of a single battery charge in such climatic conditions. And this is not the first time Tesla is in trouble with its batteries.

In addition, this also leads to false advertising regarding the fuel costs needed compared to a gasoline-powered vehicle. Finally, the reliability of its Superchargers has also been questioned. In fact, Tesla batteries take a variable amount of time to charge, and climatic conditions play their part in this process. The numbers provided by Tesla on their platforms, according to KTFC, would not correspond to reality.

They are only true under normal climatic conditions. It seems that, with very low temperatures, the autonomy of Tesla batteries drops up to 50% less than the average life. A significant difference, and it is easy to see why KTFC decided to fine Elon Musk’s company.

Biggest Problems With Tesla EV Batteries In Cold Weather

To be clear with all readers, if you didn’t know, we explain how cold weather affects the performance and range of EV batteries. First, the cold is a bitter enemy of batteries in general, and those of Tesla cars are certainly no exception. Elon Musk’s vehicles are powered by lithium-ion batteries.

These, on average, offer better performance in favorable climatic conditions, that is when it is warmer. When it is very cold, generally, the battery life drops by about 30%. As we said, this is no secret. What is important, however, is to communicate this data transparently to its buyers, and it seems that Tesla has not been entirely sincere in this case.

There are some systems to improve the impact of cold on batteries, such as the preconditioning of the battery. When the battery is cold, this feature helps warm it up. How does it work? You can do this using the Tesla App (that in the past had some problems, but now it works properly).

If not, press the accelerator pedal to heat the battery before charging. This will help to prepare it, load it more quickly, and extend its reach. Yet this may not be enough. If you have to charge your vehicle, this will take longer than usual in this climate.

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Is Tesla Aware Of The Problems Of Its EVs In Cold Winter?

Tesla, beyond the fine imposed by KFTC, is aware that their vehicles can be forced to face certain challenges during the colder winters. In fact, on the official Tesla website, there is an information page for drivers full of tips on how to manage winter vehicles. In this text, Tesla warns the owners and offers various tips to ensure better driving in these conditions.

One of the main tips is to keep the battery level always above 30%. In addition, the company also recommends using the special "Scheduled departure" function. This becomes essential, especially for longer journeys, and allows the vehicle to preheat before departure.

Even when you have your hands on the wheel, remember Tesla, it’s important to keep in mind some things that you’d better avoid doing. Among these, it is essential to avoid braking or sudden accelerations in order to better preserve the power of the battery.

Then there is the Energy app, which allows the driver to constantly monitor the status of their battery, and also provides advice on how to best manage it. Finally, it is good to always plan the path you want to take and be well aware of where the charging stations are to avoid running dry.

In conclusion, batteries during the cold winter are not a problem that affects only Tesla. All manufacturers of electric vehicles are well aware of this, and despite the efforts and technological progress, they have not yet managed to solve all these problems. What is crucial, therefore, to avoid disgruntled buyers or fines from national bodies is to communicate transparently the actual capabilities of a vehicle.

2023-01-28T16:38:56Z dg43tfdfdgfd