S. Korea fines Tesla US$2.2 mln for misleading ads

South Korea's antitrust watchdog decided on Tuesday to fine US electric carmaker Tesla and its South Korean unit 2.85 billion won (US$2.2 million) for misleading advertisements.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) said Tesla had "falsely, exaggeratingly or deceptively" advertised the mileage on a single charge, the charging speed and the fuel efficiency of its electric vehicles on the South Korean homepage since August 2019.

The advertisements suggested Tesla vehicles can run hundreds of km on a single charge under any conditions, but the range was cut by up to 50.5 percent under low temperatures and in downtown areas, the KFTC said.

The watchdog pointed out that the US company used such expressions as "up to 326 miles" on its US homepage.

Tesla advertised that drivers can recharge hundreds of km in 15 or 30 minutes at its Supercharger locations, but it failed to mention the types of Supercharger and test conditions, the KFTC noted.

The V3 model, which can recharge vehicles more than twice as fast as V2, began to be installed locally since March 2021.

The KFTC added that the advertisements showed the estimated saving cost for electricity charges "without mentioning reference time and other additional explanations."