--- title: "Tesla Admits Its Cars Have Shorter Driving Range Than It Claimed" description: "Long after being accused of artificially inflating range figures, Tesla has downgraded the estimated number of miles of some of its vehicles." date: "2024-01-06" modified: "2024-01-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-admits-cars-shorter-driving-range" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "electric car ranges" - "evs" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Tesla Admits Its Cars Have Shorter Driving Range Than It Claimed ![Long after being accused of artificially inflating range figures, Tesla has downgraded the estimated number of miles of some of its vehicles.]() *\Image: Tesla / Futurism\* ## Down Range After being [accused]() of artificially inflating range figures, Tesla has downgraded the estimated number of miles of numerous versions of its Model Y, S, and X cars in the US. As [first spotted by *Electrek*](), the vehicle configurator on the EV maker's website now shows that its Model Y Performance SUV has an estimated range of 285, a drop of 18 miles over previous estimates. The Long Range trim of the Model Y fell from 330 to 310 miles. While we still don't know with absolute certainty why Tesla made these changes, *Electrek* suggests it may be related to how Tesla tests its vehicles to arrive at Environmental Protection Agency range estimates, which are the most common yardstick for the range of EVs in the US. According to internal documents [obtained by *Drive Tesla*](), the range decrease may have also been due to "comfort and functionality improvements," which draw more energy from the vehicle's reserves. ## Rosy Projections It's nonetheless a noteworthy admission. Tesla has [garnered a reputation]() for overstating the range of its vehicles, culminating in a [Justice Department investigation]() last year. In July, [*Reuters* revealed]() that the EV maker had created an entire team to divert customer complaints regarding "rosy" range numbers, which were reportedly intentionally inflated. The news also comes after YouTubers tested out Tesla's latest Cybertruck, finding that it fell far short of its advertised, EPA-rated range of 320 miles, [covering only 254 highway miles](), albeit at a brisk 46 degrees Fahrenheit. Given Tesla's complete lack of a communications department, we're unlikely to get any answers as to why it chose to downgrade the estimates of only some of the trim levels of its vehicles and not others. At the end of the day, real-world ranges of EVs are affected by a huge number of external factors, including weather, tires, driving habits, and so on. In other words, even official EPA estimates should be taken with a huge grain of salt. At the same time, a bit of clarity, especially regarding accusations of having willfully inflated ranges, could go a long way — not that we'd expect the Elon Musk-led company to have such a change of heart. **More on Tesla:** *[The Cybertruck's Real World Range Is Incredibly Feeble]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()