Tesla (TSLA) has revised down its estimated driving range figures for various electric vehicle models following a new regulation from the United States government. This measure is designed to ensure that car manufacturers accurately represent the performance of their vehicles under typical usage conditions.
On its official website, Tesla updated the driving range figures for the 2023 Model X, Model S, Model Y, and Model 3, comparing them to information listed on a government-operated website in the United States. For instance, while Tesla’s website indicates a estimated range of 310 miles for the Model Y Long Range electric vehicle, the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) fuel economy website still shows it as 330 miles. The estimated range for the Model Y Performance version has also been reduced from 303 miles to 285 miles.
The scope of these updates varies among different models, with some changes being minor, such as a slight decrease in the estimated range for the Model X Plaid version from 333 miles to 326 miles. On the other hand, more significant adjustments have been made, like the estimated range for the Model S Plaid, which has been changed from 396 miles to 359 miles according to the latest data on Tesla’s website.
Historically, Tesla’s estimated ranges often exceeded the actual driving capabilities of their vehicles, leading to dissatisfaction among customers. Reports in July revealed that Tesla had changed the software that calculates the range displayed on the vehicle’s dashboard about a decade ago, resulting in overly optimistic distance predictions before the need for recharging.
Further investigations uncovered that Tesla had formed a secret team in 2022 to address numerous complaints related to driving range and bypass service appointments for range issues. Tesla later revealed in a legal filing in October that federal investigators had requested information from the company regarding claims about the driving range of its vehicles.
The recent regulations mandate electric vehicle manufacturers to conduct driving range and energy efficiency tests using the vehicle’s standard or default driving mode. In cases where a vehicle does not have a standard mode, the EPA directs manufacturers to test the vehicle in both the most energy-efficient and least energy-efficient modes. This directive is part of a July 2022 directive issued by the EPA to vehicle manufacturers and pertains to testing procedures for models released in 2024. Notably, Tesla’s marketing web pages do not specify the model year when stating estimated ranges for its vehicles.
As of midday trading on Tuesday, Tesla’s shares had fallen by 2.33%.
source: tr.investing.com / prepared by Melisa Beğiç