Tesla fined $2.2 million in Korea for false advertising

The Korea Honest Commerce Fee judged that Tesla’s Korean affiliate exaggerated the driving vary and charging speeds of its electrical automobiles. File Picture courtesy of Tesla

For instance, Tesla Korea claimed that its car may run 328 miles on a single cost. However the FTC discovered the driving distance plummeted as a lot as 50% in chilly climate.

Tesla Korea made different claims, that charging with a supercharger takes lower than quarter-hour and permits 153 miles of driving, and in addition that its automotive patrons would save $3,900 over 5 years in comparison with these with inner combustion engines.

The FTC countered that Tesla’s charging time was based mostly on the quickest V3 supercharger, with solely the slower V2 superchargers out there in South Korea on the time of the web advertisements.

The antitrust regulator additionally mentioned there was no adequate proof to buttress Tesla’s declare that its automobiles supplied $3,900 saving over conventional automobiles.

The FTC mentioned Tesla additionally violated related codes by disallowing buy contracts to be canceled on-line.

Final 12 months, the FTC slapped a effective of $1.6 million on German automaker Mercedes-Benz and its Korean subsidiary for its claims relating to gasoline emissions in passenger automobiles.

“Efficiency of electrical vehicles in chilly temperatures has been one of many thorniest points for Tesla,” Daelim College automotive Professor Kim Pil-soo instructed UPI Information Korea.

“The corporate ought to have been extra cautious with its commercial about driving distance and charging time. The effective may additional dampen Tesla’s already declining gross sales right here,” he mentioned.

Throughout the first half of 2022, Tesla’s gross sales in Korea had been down 42% from a 12 months earlier than.