Tesla falsely promoted and exaggerated the driving range and charging speed of its electric cars as well as the estimated savings on fuel costs by using its vehicles, according to a statement from South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission on Tuesday. The Elon Musk-led company changed that advertisement on its Korean-language website last February when the watchdog initiated an investigation.
As of end-September, Tesla had sold 45,812 battery-powered vehicles in South Korea since opening a local office in 2015, according to the transport ministry. The sales volume made it the third-biggest green car brand with a local market share of 13%, just behind domestic car makers Hyundai Motor Co. and its unit Kia.