Tesla Sued Over Models’ Driving Ranges

Several California Tesla owners have sued the electric-vehicle maker, saying it exaggerated claims of its models’ driving range between charges.

The suit cites a recent report by Reuters that said Tesla advertised exaggerated battery range and created a team to divert service requests over models that didn’t live up to the claims.

Three Tesla owners filed the suit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeking class-action status for Californians who bought models 3, S, Y and X new.

The plaintiffs accuse the company of false advertising and said the carmaker didn’t remedy the issue in their vehicles. The lawsuit indicates they wouldn’t have bought their models or would only have done so at far less expensive prices if they’d known their true driving ranges.

The Reuters report said that in addition to advertising exaggerated battery ranges, Tesla about a decade ago configured models’ range meters to indicate unrealistic range on a fully charged battery.

Tesla didn’t respond to Reuters for the article, which was published last week.

Early this year, South Korea regulators fined Tesla $2.2 million for not telling owners about its models’ shorter driving range in cold temperatures.

Report Says Tesla Exaggerated EVs' Range