Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
According to a new report by Reuters, Tesla performed “intentional inflation” about the range estimates of its electric vehicles under the guidance of CEO Elon Musk.
An anonymous source said the automaker had started to use algorithms about a decade ago that would inflate projections at a full charge. Then, once Teslas reach a 50 percent state of charge, the numbers get a bit more realistic so drivers have a better chance of avoiding getting stranded, along with a 15-mile buffer that allows the vehicle to drive on battery after it reaches zero. According to the source, “Elon wanted to show good range numbers when fully charged.”
The Reuters report also claims that Tesla created a dedicated “Diversion Team” last summer focused solely on…