Can Tesla Really Manipulate the Mileage of Its Cars?

Incredible but true, Tesla is accused of artificially inflating the mileage of its cars to limit warranty periods.

Used to lawsuits, Tesla is now facing a particularly intriguing accusation. A owner of several Teslas in Northern California accuses the manufacturer of manipulating odometers to display excessive mileage, exceeding the actual distance by 15% to 117%. According to the complaint, this practice aims to shorten the vehicles’ warranty coverage. The accusation is based on a patent filed by Tesla, although no tangible evidence demonstrates its use in vehicles, nor any potential falsifying effect.

Nyree Hinton, owner of a 2020 Tesla Model Y purchased in December 2022 with 36,772 miles on the odometer, initiated this case. Between December 2022 and February 2023, she estimates to have traveled an average of 55.54 miles per day. However, from March to June 2023, as the vehicle approached the end of its warranty, this figure reportedly jumped to 72.53 miles per day, an unexplained discrepancy given that her routine did not change. She claims the actual average should have been about 20 miles less per day.

The complaint references a Tesla patent describing a method of calculating mileage based on factors such as energy consumption and road conditions, rather than direct recording of distances traveled via traditional sensors on the wheels. According to Ms. Hinton, this system was used to artificially reduce the vehicle’s recorded mileage for warranty purposes.

America and its lawsuits of all kinds…

In reality, no evidence confirms that Tesla actually employed this technology. It seems more likely that this technology is intended to feed the car’s artificial intelligence to increase the range! Can we really imagine a manufacturer of such magnitude resorting to such dubious practices? Moreover, since all Tesla vehicles are equipped with GPS, the manufacturer can easily prove its good faith. However, discussions on forums have been suggesting for years an overestimation of the mileage driven by Teslas. Although this case is somewhat anecdotal, it risks fueling conspiracy theories among the most convinced.

This incident adds to a long list of disputes involving Tesla, which has already been accused of everything from industrial pollution to unmet promises about autonomous driving. When it rains, it pours…

READ ALSO: Is Tesla Model 3’s range secretly increased?