--- title: "Tesla Sued for Exaggerating Battery Range" description: "Three Tesla owners in California have proposed a class action lawsuit, accusing the EV maker of falsely advertising its vehicles' ranges." date: "2023-08-03" modified: "2023-08-03" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-sued-exaggerating-battery-range" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "lawsuits" - "range anxiety" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Tesla Sued for Exaggerating Battery Range ![Three Tesla owners in California have proposed a class action lawsuit, accusing the EV maker of falsely advertising its vehicles' ranges.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* ## Inflate Gate Three Tesla owners in California have lobbed a class action lawsuit at the EV maker, accusing it of false advertising. They allege, as [*Reuters* reports](), that Tesla misled them by inflating the estimated driving ranges of its vehicles. The news comes a week after [*Reuters* found]() that Tesla had used a "Diversion Team" to suppress a growing number of range-related appointments, following a high number of owner complaints about the vehicles' driving range. "Had Tesla honestly advertised its electric vehicle ranges, consumers either would not have purchased Tesla model vehicles, or else would have paid substantially less for them," the lawsuit states. While it's still unclear if the proposed suit will ever get class action status, it could be a considerable legal battle for the Elon Musk-led company, considering it would cover all Tesla drivers in California who bought a Model 3, S, X, or Y. ## Class Actioned Last week's *Reuters* report suggests Tesla intentionally modified the displayed ranges in its EVs around a decade ago to show inflated numbers when fully charged. But, as [*Engadget* points out](), it's still unclear if this is still the case today. It's not the first time Tesla has been accused of misleading its customers about its vehicles' ranges. Earlier this year, South Korea [fined the company $2.2 million]() over its failure to disclose how ranges are affected by cold weather. The embattled company is already facing a number of other lawsuits. A different class action lawsuit [alleges Tesla violated the privacy]() of its customers, while a [shareholder is suing]() the company over Musk's claims about the safety of its controversial Full Self-Driving driver assistance software, among others. To be fair, it's not just Tesla that has been accused of inflating its EV ranges. A [recent study]() found that offerings from other EV makers are also falling well short of their advertised ranges. It's nonetheless a bad look for Tesla that could be [yet another]() blemish on its already tarnished reputation. **More on Tesla:** [Government Investigating Tesla Over Small Issue Where Steering Wheel Locks Up While Driving]() ## 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]()