Tesla accused of stifling range complaints

Tesla faces accusations of creating a “Diversion Team” in Las Vegas to suppress thousands of driving range complaints from its customers. With its service centers flooded with appointments, Tesla instructed some of its employees to stop customers complaining about poor driving range from bringing in their EVs for service. Many of the customers had expected better range based on the company’s advertised estimates and the projections displayed by the cars’ in-dash range meters. Apparently, thousands of customers were told nothing was wrong with their car, even with no diagnostics. Tesla managers told “Diversion Team” employees that they were saving the company about $1,000 for every canceled appointment. Inside the Nevada team’s office, some employees celebrated canceling service appointments by putting their phones on mute and striking a metal xylophone, triggering applause from coworkers who sometimes stood on desks. The team often closed hundreds of cases a week and staffers were tracked on their average number of diverted appointments per day.