Report Says Tesla Exaggerated EVs’ Range
Reuters says US EV market leader inflated batteries’ capacity in ads, dashboard meters.
Most of the complaining customers’ cars didn’t need to be repaired but had simply been touted as having more range than they actually did, the report said.
IMAGE: Pexels/Roberto Nickson
A Reuters report says that some 10 years ago, Tesla configured vehicle dashboard range meters to indicate longer distances between charges than batteries actually supported, then created a company team last year to thwart rising service requests about the discrepancies.
Reuters, citing anonymous sources familiar with the issue, said that neither Tesla nor CEO Elon Musk returned messages seeking comment about the report.
The article gives as one example a Tesla Model 3 owner who said the car was getting less than half its advertised range of 353 miles between full charges, so he made a service appointment to look into it. He told Reuters he then got text messages indicating “remote diagnostics” showed his battery was performing well and that Tesla wanted to cancel the appointment.
Reuters says Tesla employees were told to discourage service appointments over underperforming batteries, and created a “Diversion Team” in Las Vegas to cancel them when possible. It said Tesla service centers were flooded with such complaints and that employees would celebrate when such an appointment was canceled. The report says that often, hundreds of the appointments were disposed of in a week, and that team staff were monitored daily on how many they canceled.
Most of the complaining customers’ cars didn’t need to be repaired but had simply been touted as having more range than they actually did, the report said.
Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today
More Showroom
New-Vehicle Prices Stay Put
Affordability pressures and model availability shaped new-vehicle sales in September, according to an analysis by Kelley Blue Book.
Read More →
EV Buyer Consideration Shifts
What drives American consumers to purchase an electric vehicle is shifting as the question moves away from Should I?' to 'Which features and experience do I want to have?'
Read More →
Year-to-Date Auto Sales Holding Their Own
A forecast through August shows that automakers have shifted strategies to keep deliveries and revenues up despite tariffs and other economic challenges.
Read More →
Slow to Robo
Ten years of polling consumers shows autonomous vehicles’ profiles have risen considerably, but even more people now want at least some level of control if they go that route.
Read More →
Dealers a Little Down
A third-quarter Cox Automotive survey finds them in a mixed mood, bummed by fallen customer traffic but encouraged by better profits, costs and EV interest.
Read More →
European EV Sales Skyrocket
The EV market on the continent held strong in July with almost 25% of new-car sales being fully electric units, a stark contrast to the U.S., where EV sales declined about 42%.
Read More →
Mitsubishi Unveils U.S. Plan
The automaker announced a strategy that includes an expanded lineup and dealership presence, along with more ‘rugged’ and electric models.
Read More →
Used Lots Getting the Business
Many consumers are seeking out the units to save money, and the demand – higher in July than normal – is keeping supply limited and prices up.
Read More →
Used Market Stabilizes
The Carfax Used Car Index noted a major drop in used-vehicle price increases in July after several months of hikes.
Read More →
California Hybrids Reach State Record
The Golden State still leads the country in electric-vehicle registrations, but much like the rest of the U.S. its hybrid market share is up while full electrics stabilize after a dramatic first-quarter dip.
Read More →