Tesla owners in California filed a proposed class-action lawsuit on Wednesday, accusing the automaker of falsely advertising the estimated driving ranges of its electric vehicles. Citing a Reuters article from last week, the lawsuit claims Tesla had created a "Diversion Team" in Nevada to cancel complaints of range-related issues. Also according to the same report, the company was allegedly instructed by CEO Elon Musk to write algorithms for its in-dash range meter that showed drivers "rosy" projections for the distance the car could travel on a full battery. The article did not determine if Tesla still uses such algorithms. Tesla and Musk declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The complaint claims Tesla breached vehicle warranties and engaged in fraud and unfair competition. Two of the three plaintiffs in the case cited occasions when their Teslas didn't achieve close to their advertised ranges, and had complained to the company without success. The lawsuit seeks to represent all persons in California who purchased a Tesla Model 3, Model S, Model Y, and Model X vehicle, and seeks unspecified damages.
In addition to this lawsuit, Tesla faces litigation and regulatory scrutiny over its Autopilot and “Full Self-Driving” technology and claims about the safety of those systems. A California Tesla owner also filed a proposed consumer class action in April after Reuters reported that Tesla employees had shared sensitive images and videos captured by cars' cameras. The lawsuit accuses Tesla of violating privacy, which the company has denied.
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