Following an investigation by Reuters, several of the brand’s customers have decided to sue Tesla for misleading advertising regarding the estimated range of its electric vehicles.
It’s go again ! Tesla is once again being sued in a proposed class action over misleading advertising claims. Three lawsuits have already been filed in California federal court against the automaker, following an article published on Reuters on July 27, 2023. If the lawsuit becomes a class action, it may then represent “ everyone in California who has purchased a new Tesla Model 3, Model S, Model Y, and Model X vehicle “.
This is not the first time that Reuters’ revelations have led to complaints from the brand’s customers. Last April, several customers attacked Tesla following an article revealing that Tesla employees had access to car cameras and that they were not respecting the privacy of the brand’s customers. This time, it is the rather sensitive subject of vehicle autonomy that is in question.
What is alleged against Tesla
The Reuters investigation at the end of July brought to light several elements deemed tendentious:
- Tesla uses a more favorable than realistic EPA (American standard) homologation formula, unlike other manufacturers,
- Tesla embellishes the autonomy announced on the meter when the battery is full, then the real autonomy becomes more reliable when the battery is empty,
- A “diversion” team would have had the task of discouraging customers complaining of autonomy from going to the workshop.
The lawsuit states the following: If Tesla had honestly advertised the range of its electric vehicles, consumers would not have bought Tesla vehicles or would have paid much less for them. » For these customers, Tesla breached vehicle warranties and engaged in fraud and unfair competition. They seek damages from the builder for deceiving them.
If the revelations about the diversionary team are true, several thousand aggrieved customers certainly have grievances against Tesla over it. It is easy to imagine that other plaintiffs could quickly join the class action to give weight to the initiative. However, it is not said that a trial proves them right. Tesla has already won several of the lawsuits against the company, including over self-driving and some fatal crashes.
Autonomy approved, autonomy displayed on the meter and real autonomy
The question of the autonomy of electric cars is a real sea serpent. It is also very complicated as a specialized journalist to be educational and fair in addressing the subject.
Between the autonomy obtained by the homologation cycle, those displayed on the car and those observed on the road, there is sometimes a whole world. However, novice customers, when buying their first electric car, rely on what the manufacturer communicates: WLTP certification data in Europe and EPA in the USA. These approval data are relatively favorable data, even if some manufacturers have very close results between approval and actual use.
It is at this level that Tesla’s excessive optimism annoys and displeases customers who feel aggrieved. It has not yet been demonstrated that the manipulations are real. True fraud or simple optimization of the established rules, American justice will decide. South Korea has already rendered a verdict on the subject at the end of 2022, Tesla was fined in the country 2 million euros for false advertising, or at least exaggerated, of the allegations present on its site. internet on autonomy.
If you’re interested in Tesla news, don’t hesitate to subscribe to our weekly newsletter Watt Else.
Subscribe for free to Artificials, our AI newsletter, designed by AIs, verified by Numerama!