A lawsuit filed Thursday claims Tesla has misrepresented the mileage driving range of its electric vehicles.
Under California’s Uniform Commercial Law and New York’s General Business Law, the lawsuit asks the court to issue a public injunction requiring Tesla to fix the mileage readings displayed by Tesla’s dashboard range meters so they reflect the actual available mileage, rather than “intentionally overestimated projections.”
As alleged in the complaint, Tesla advertised mileage projections of 350 to 400 miles, or more, on a fully charged battery. Tesla also allegedly programmed its software to show mileage readings on the dashboard range meters reflecting the advertised projections. However, the projected mile range would diverge and drop, often significantly, when consumers drove the vehicles, resulting in an actual mileage range much less than Tesla’s projections.
The complaint cites to a Reuters report on July 27, 2023, that Tesla created a “Diversion Team” to address its large number of consumer complaints regarding the projected driving range.
“A vehicle’s driving range is a significant factor in the consumer’s purchasing decision,” argue plaintiffs, “and vehicle charging capacity must be reliable, particularly when taking longer trips and planning distance between charging stations.”
The plaintiffs specify they are seeking this public injunction, rather than asserting a class action. However, three California Tesla owners did file a class action lawsuit against Tesla earlier this week challenging Tesla’s electric vehicle range.
This case is Alejandro Corona, et al. v. Tesla, Inc., case number 5:23-cv-03902, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
