DOJ's investigation over Tesla's optimistic range estimates advances

23 October 2023

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is finally taking action and launches an investigation regarding Tesla's exaggerated range estimates on its EVs, following a report from late August. The probing was confirmed by a Tesla document filed at the FCC, stating that DOJ is requesting information from the company regarding "personal benefits, related parties, vehicle range and personnel decisions".

This isn't the first time Tesla has been accused of presenting overly optimistic range estimates and the automaker even set up a "Diversion Team" to deal with all the complaints. That's because numerous customers are booking service appointments to look into the inaccurate range estimate. However, since there's nothing wrong with the battery or the system itself, the team just cancels these appointments. The software that estimates the range is actually at fault here.

The in-dash estimates of Tesla's cars can sometimes be half of what the actual range is, so that's why many consumers believe that there's something wrong with their Tesla. In contrast, people familiar with the matter say that other automakers like BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Porsche will typically give conservative estimates.

It's too early to tell how this plays out, but it seems like Tesla is getting into a lot of trouble for its inflated in-dash range estimates. Just imagine your Tesla estimating at least 124 miles of cruising range and at around 62 miles in, you are forced to pull over and charge.

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