√Tesla fined over misleading claims about driving range in severe cold weather

South Korean authorities have imposed a huge fine on Tesla for failing to tell its customers about the impact of cold weather on driving range.

Tesla is facing a multi-million dollar fine in South Korea after the country’s consumer watchdog found the company misled customers over driving range claims in severe cold weather.

According to a report from news outlet Reuters, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) will fine Tesla 2.85 billion won ($AU3.2 million) for failing to disclose its electric cars are subject to a diminished driving range in cold weather.

The KFTC says the driving range of Tesla models can drop by almost half of the brand’s advertised range when used in cold weather.

Similarly, a 2020 study by Canadian company Geotab found car manufacturers’ claimed driving range for an electric vehicle can drop by as much as 54 per cent at minus-15 degrees Celsius – with South Korea’s capital Seoul often getting that cold in the winter month of January.

The same Canadian study also found hot weather can affect an electric car’s driving range, dropping quickly as temperatures increase above 30 degrees Celsius.

At 40 degrees Celsius, the real-world driving range of electric car loses approximately 20 per cent of a manufacturer’s claim, according to the Geotab study.

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