Tesla Motors has been fined $2.2 million by South Korean authorities for exaggerating certain things in advertising materials and failing to explain to customers that the range of the cars is significantly reduced when it is very cold outside.

Tesla Motors delivered 1.3 million vehicles to the world in 2022, up 40% from 2021, but below its target of 1.4 million vehicles.

In South Korea, the Korean Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) fined Elon Musk’s company for false advertising, accusing it of exaggerating the range of cars and the significantly lower cost of using an electric car compared to a gasoline one.

Tesla Motors allegedly provided exaggerated information about the charging speed of its cars. Authorities are citing information posted in August 2019 on the company’s website, which Tesla said changed when authorities began investigating.

One problem is that Tesla did not mention that in cold weather, especially when it is freezing outside, the autonomy of cars is significantly reduced.

The KFTC says that in cold weather, the actual range of Tesla cars can drop by half of the advertised value.

In cold weather, the autonomy of all electric vehicles is significantly lower than under ideal weather conditions, the reduction can reach 40-60%.

Sources: Reuters, Bloomberg

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