Tesla EV owners sue over inflated range estimates

In a world where electric vehicles are slowly becoming the more popular choice, range anxiety remains a significant concern for many potential buyers. Tesla, a pioneer in the EV market, is now facing a potential class-action lawsuit over what some owners claim are purposefully misleading range estimates.

Three Tesla owners in California have initiated the lawsuit, alleging that the company falsely advertised the estimated driving ranges of its EVs. They claim that their Teslas consistently failed to achieve the advertised ranges, leading to frustration and disappointment. One of the plaintiffs, James Porter, a Model Y owner from Petaluma, California, stated that he "lost approximately 182 miles of range – despite only driving 92 miles."

The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, cites a Reuters article that reported Tesla had formed a "Diversion Team" in Nevada. This team's alleged purpose was to cancel as many range-related appointments as possible due to an overwhelming number of owner complaints about range lower than indicated by the driver display.

Interestingly, the same report suggested that about a decade ago, Tesla decided to write algorithms for its in-dash range meter that would show drivers optimistic projections for the distance the car could travel on a single charge. The directive for these rosy range estimates reportedly came from Tesla CEO Elon Musk himself. However, it is unclear whether Tesla still uses those algorithms.

The plaintiffs argue that Tesla breached vehicle warranties and engaged in fraud and unfair competition. They believe that if Tesla had honestly advertised its electric vehicle ranges, consumers either would not have purchased Tesla vehicles, or would have paid substantially less for them.

The lawsuit seeks class-action status to represent "all persons in California who purchased a new Tesla Model 3, Model S, Model Y, and Model X vehicle." The plaintiffs seek unspecified damages.

This isn't the first time Tesla has faced legal challenges. The company is also under scrutiny over its Autopilot Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) and "Full Self-Driving" technology. In addition, a separate proposed consumer class action was filed in April by a California Tesla owner, accusing the company of violating customer privacy by allegedly sharing sensitive images and videos captured by cars' cameras on an internal messaging system.

Tesla, known for its disruptive approach to the automotive industry, has yet to respond to the allegations in the lawsuit. The whole EV world and every EV manufacturer will be watching this one closely - the outcome of this case could set a precedent for how automakers advertise the range of their electric vehicles.

Via