MILAN (Reuters) -Italy’s antitrust agency said on Friday it was investigating BYD, Stellantis, Tesla and Volkswagen for allegedly misleading consumers on the performance of their electric vehicles.
The four investigations for possible unfair commercial practices concern “the information provided to consumers on EV driving range, battery capacity degradation and limitations on standard battery warranties, potentially in breach of the Consumer Code,” the regulator said in a statement.
As is customary in such circumstances, the agency said it carried out inspections on Thursday at the Italian headquarters of the four automakers, aided by the Guardia di Finanza, Italy’s financial crimes police.
BYD had no immediate comment on the investigation. Stellantis and Volkswagen did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while it was not immediately possible to contact Tesla’s Italian operations.
(Reporting by Alessia Pé and Giulio Piovaccari, writing by Alvise Armellini; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)