Tesla under investigation by Justice Department over range claims

Justice Department Probes Tesla's Claimed Driving Range

The U.S. Department of Justice is currently examining whether Tesla vehicles truly achieve the driving distances stated in official EPA ratings for a single battery charge.

According to Tesla’s latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, federal investigators are scrutinizing several matters, including the actual range of Tesla’s electric cars.

While electric vehicle range can fluctuate with temperature—typically improving in warmer conditions—Consumer Reports has performed independent tests indicating that Tesla models consistently underperform compared to their advertised range, regardless of weather conditions.

Consumer Reports evaluated the Tesla Model Y alongside the Volkswagen ID.4, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Ford Mustang Mach-E. Their findings showed that the ID.4 and Mach-E slightly exceeded their claimed ranges in warm weather, while the Ioniq 5 nearly matched its 256-mile estimate.

However, the Model Y did not reach its EPA-rated distance, despite covering more miles than the ID.4 and Ioniq 5, and a similar distance as the Mach-E. In warm weather, the Model Y managed 274 miles in testing, falling short of the EPA’s official 326-mile figure.

Tesla’s filing stated, “To our knowledge, no government agency has determined that any misconduct has occurred in any ongoing investigation.” The company did not provide a comment, and the Justice Department also declined to discuss the matter.

EPA range estimates rely on various factors, including information supplied by manufacturers. If automakers are found to have submitted inaccurate data, they could face legal consequences.

One notable example is Volkswagen, which admitted to misleading authorities about diesel emissions and agreed to pay $4.3 billion in penalties, including $2.8 billion in criminal fines, to the U.S. government.