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Tesla amends ‘unfair’ terms and conditions for vehicle deliveries in South Korea

(Credit: Tesla)

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5 years ago

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South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission, the number one antitrust watchdog in the country, has ordered Tesla to amend several aspects of its terms and conditions for vehicle purchases and deliveries. The amendments, which were intended to take away “unfair” rules that were detrimental to local customers, were fully implemented voluntarily by Tesla since Friday last week. 

The announcement of Tesla’s updated terms and conditions was announced by officials on Tuesday. As noted in The Korea Herald, the updates were intended to address Tesla’s “unfair” rules for local customers, particularly those which indicate that buyers are fully responsible for picking up their orders, and that customers are responsible for any damage inflicted on their vehicles during the purchase process. 

Tesla entered South Korea in 2017 with the flagship Model S sedan and the Model X SUV, but it was only until the Model 3 entered the country did the company build some serious momentum. Since launching last year, the Model 3 has taken the lion’s share of the country’s EV market, commanding 43% of the total segment in the first half of 2020. This was despite the presence of well-rounded and affordable EVs from local brands such as the Hyundai Kona Electric and the Kia Niro EV.

In a statement to the Herald, Lee Tae-hwi, the head of the Fair Trade Commission’s terms and conditions examination division, noted that Tesla’s updated rules ensure that local customers are protected. “By correcting unfair terms and conditions of Tesla, customers’ rights will be guaranteed institutionally,” Lee said. 

Complaints to the FTC about Tesla’s terms and conditions emerged earlier this year, with customers alleging that the company was implementing unfair contracts. Buyers reported that if damages occur to a vehicle they purchased, the company simply issued a 100,000 won ($84) refund, which only corresponded to a part of the car’s order fee. Others alleged that Tesla refused to take responsibility for any issues reported after a car’s designated delivery period. 

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With its updated terms and conditions, Tesla has stated that it would be compensating customers for their loss and inconvenience if the damages to their vehicles were intentional or caused by negligence. Tesla also noted that it will be liable for damages that happen during the delivery process. The company added that it will take responsibility for issues in its vehicles even after the designated delivery period has passed. Also, orders could only be canceled by Tesla if the vehicle in question was used in illegal transactions, such as unauthorized resales or crimes. 

Apart from these, the updated terms and conditions prevent Tesla from transferring contracts made with its customers at its discretion. Transfers of contracts now would need to be made in accordance with South Korea’s relevant statutes. Lastly, the electric car maker is expected to start delivering cars to a customer’s preferred location for an additional fee. This gives more options for buyers, particularly those who prefer to not pick up their cars from a delivery center. 

It should be noted that Tesla is not the only automaker being affected by the South Korea FTC’s initiatives. According to the watchdog agency, the terms and conditions of other foreign automakers such as Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and Renault, could also be recommended for amendments. Such updates benefit the consumer, after all, as they incentivize companies to ensure that their vehicles are in their best condition when they are handed over to customers. 

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla adds 15th automaker to Supercharger access in 2025

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2 hours ago

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December 10, 2025

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tesla supercharger
Credit: Tesla

Tesla has added the 15th automaker to the growing list of companies whose EVs can utilize the Supercharger Network this year, as BMW is the latest company to gain access to the largest charging infrastructure in the world.

BMW became the 15th company in 2025 to gain Tesla Supercharger access, after the company confirmed to its EV owners that they could use any of the more than 25,000 Supercharging stalls in North America.

Newer BMW all-electric cars, like the i4, i5, i7, and iX, are able to utilize Tesla’s V3 and V4 Superchargers. These are the exact model years, via the BMW Blog:

  • i4: 2022-2026 model years
  • i5: 2024-2025 model years
    • 2026 i5 (eDrive40 and xDrive40) after software update in Spring 2026
  • i7: 2023-2026 model years
  • iX: 2022-2025 model years
    • 2026 iX (all versions) after software update in Spring 2026

With the expansion of the companies that gained access in 2025 to the Tesla Supercharger Network, a vast majority of non-Tesla EVs are able to use the charging stalls to gain range in their cars.

So far in 2025, Tesla has enabled Supercharger access to:

  • Audi
  • BMW
  • Genesis
  • Honda
  • Hyundai
  • Jaguar Land Rover
  • Kia
  • Lucid
  • Mercedes-Benz
  • Nissan
  • Polestar
  • Subaru
  • Toyota
  • Volkswagen
  • Volvo

Drivers with BMW EVs who wish to charge at Tesla Superchargers must use an NACS-to-CCS1 adapter. In Q2 2026, BMW plans to release its official adapter, but there are third-party options available in the meantime.

They will also have to use the Tesla App to enable Supercharging access to determine rates and availability. It is a relatively seamless process.

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Tesla adds new feature that will be great for crowded parking situations

This is the most recent iteration of the app and was priming owners for the slowly-released Holiday Update.

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5 hours ago

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December 10, 2025

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Credit: Grok

Tesla has added a new feature that will be great for crowded parking lots, congested parking garages, or other confusing times when you cannot seem to pinpoint where your car went.

Tesla has added a new Vehicle Locator feature to the Tesla App with App Update v4.51.5.

This is the most recent iteration of the app and was priming owners for the slowly-released Holiday Update.

While there are several new features, which we will reveal later in this article, perhaps one of the coolest is that of the Vehicle Locator, which will now point you in the direction of your car using a directional arrow on the home screen. This is similar to what Apple uses to find devices:

In real time, the arrow gives an accurate depiction of which direction you should walk in to find your car. This seems extremely helpful in large parking lots or unfamiliar shopping centers.

Getting to your car after a sporting event is an event all in itself; this feature will undoubtedly help with it:

Tesla’s previous app versions revealed the address at which you could locate your car, which was great if you parked on the street in a city setting. It was also possible to use the map within the app to locate your car.

However, this new feature gives a more definitive location for your car and helps with the navigation to it, instead of potentially walking randomly.

It also reveals the distance you are from your car, which is a big plus.

Along with this new addition, Tesla added Photobooth features, Dog Mode Live Activity, Custom Wraps and Tints for Colorizer, and Dashcam Clip details.

All in all, this App update was pretty robust.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk shades Waymo: ‘Never really had a chance’

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6 hours ago

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December 10, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla CEO Elon Musk shaded Waymo in a post on X on Wednesday, stating the company “never really had a chance” and that it “will be obvious in hindsight.”

Tesla and Waymo are the two primary contributors to the self-driving efforts in the United States, with both operating driverless ride-hailing services in the country. Tesla does have a Safety Monitor present in its vehicles in Austin, Texas, and someone in the driver’s seat in its Bay Area operation.

Musk says the Austin operation will be completely void of any Safety Monitors by the end of the year.

With the two companies being the main members of the driverless movement in the U.S., there is certainly a rivalry. The two have sparred back and forth with their geofences, or service areas, in both Austin and the Bay Area.

While that is a metric for comparison now, ultimately, it will not matter in the coming years, as the two companies will likely operate in a similar fashion.

Waymo has geared its business toward larger cities, and Tesla has said that its self-driving efforts will expand to every single one of its vehicles in any location globally. This is where the true difference between the two lies, along with the fact that Tesla uses its own vehicles, while Waymo has several models in its lineup from different manufacturers.

The two also have different ideas on how to solve self-driving, as Tesla uses a vision-only approach. Waymo relies on several things, including LiDAR, which Musk once called “a fool’s errand.”

This is where Tesla sets itself apart from the competition, and Musk highlighted the company’s position against Waymo.

Jeff Dean, the Chief Scientist for Google DeepMind, said on X:

“I don’t think Tesla has anywhere near the volume of rider-only autonomous miles that Waymo has (96M for Waymo, as of today). The safety data is quite compelling for Waymo, as well.”

Musk replied:

“Waymo never really had a chance against Tesla. This will be obvious in hindsight.”

Tesla stands to have a much larger fleet of vehicles in the coming years if it chooses to activate Robotaxi services with all passenger vehicles. A simple Over-the-Air update will activate this capability, while Waymo would likely be confined to the vehicles it commissions as Robotaxis.

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