The “small” electric vehicle manufacturer that has become the model for historic manufacturers never stops blowing hot and cold. On one hand, Tesla completed a record year in 2022 by delivering 1.3 million cars. On the other hand, the share is down 65%. Synonymous with the disruptor that has become almost like the others, Tesla even ran year-end promotions to sell off its production, as discussed on Linkedin. Basically, Tesla is now dealing with the same problems as the bigger players.
A few omissions… and a conviction
Therefore, we have always known that the brand is very stingy with information about the capacity of its batteries or their autonomy. This did not please the KFTC, the South Korean equivalent of the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumers and Fraud Enforcement. After announcing in early 2022 that it was conducting an investigation into Tesla’s communications, the body filed a complaint against the manufacturer, indicating that it knowingly failed to specify that the range of its vehicles can drop by 50% with the cold. Or to specify, in online ads, that “the charging speed varies considerably depending on the type of charger, the external temperature and the battery charge level“. Tesla was just fined $2.2 million for false advertising.
If the American company did not comment, it was still responsive, having already made the necessary corrections on its site. South Korea is very strict when it comes to consumer information. Last year, Mercedes was fined more than $16 million for misleading advertising related to gas emissions from its diesel passenger vehicles.
