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© AFP / Jung Yeon-Je

EV maker accused of exaggerating distance that some of its cars can travel

The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) is weighing imposing penalties against US automaker Tesla, after the regulator found out that the company had embellished the specifications of its batteries.

The regulator sent a report to the electric vehicle (EV) producer stating that it had exaggerated the mileage of some of its models, including the Model 3, in violation of Korea’s Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising.

"We plan to hold a general meeting to review and determine the extent to which the automaker has violated the law and decide the level of sanctions," an official at the KFTC told Reuters on Wednesday.

According to the company’s website, the Model 3 is able to travel 528 kilometers (328 miles) on a single charge.

The South Korean regulator says that the range may fall short of this if the temperature drops below freezing.

Moreover, the KFTC is also considering imposing penalties against the world’s most valuable automaker for not refunding deposits to customers who cancelled online purchases before their vehicle orders were put in place.

In South Korea, Tesla requires customers to pay a deposit of 100,000 won ($84) when buying vehicles online, but deposits were allegedly not refunded upon customers’ order cancellations.