• Elon Musk's Tesla is being investigated by South Korea's antitrust regulator, per media reports.
  • Regulator claims that Tesla exaggerated the mileage capability of some vehicles, an official told Reuters.
  • Freezing temperatures can reduce an electric car's driving range, the KFTC said.

South Korea is investigating Tesla after the country's antitrust regulator said that the carmaker's advertisements exaggerated the mileage capacity of some of its electric vehicles, Reuters reported Tuesday.

An official from the Korea Fair Trade Commission told Reuters that the agency is probing Elon Musk's automaker over allegations that it has overstated the performance of its battery in some models.

"We plan to hold a meeting to decide the level of sanctions against the automaker," the KFTC official told Reuters.

According to Reuters, local news agency Yonhap first reported that the KFTC had sent a review report to Tesla about its battery claims in advertisements that the regulator said violated the Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising. The vehicles cited included the carmaker's Model 3.

The Model 3 is capable of driving up to 528 kilometers (328 miles) on a single charge, per the company's South Korea website.

However, the KFTC said the driving range decreases when temperatures falls below freezing, Reuters reported. 

Tesla and the KFTC didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Cold weather can reduce an electric vehicle's battery range by around 20%, per Consumer Reports. Freezing temperatures slow down the chemical reactions in battery cells, meaning the vehicle has to use more energy to maintain the battery's temperature, Insider previously reported.

A picture of a switch and lightbulb
Sign up for notifications from Insider! Stay up to date with what you want to know.
Subscribe to push notifications