I'm not sure how you consider it lying to have an asterisk that clearly explains their calculation along with a slider that says Potential savings with said asterisk. That same asterisk is on every mention of the price on the page.
Asterisk = read the fine print... That to me is super deceptive. Tell me the acutal price of the car that I'm going to pay. Hell, include a rebate if I'm gonna get it in the next year. But gas savings over life of the vehicle is an absurd way to psychologically trick people.
You don't see the prius product page saying "well actually it's cheaper because it's a hybrid, you save 2300 over the life of the vehicle on gas!" No, they just tell you what the damn car costs.
Tsla is doing many things right, but that's just a perfect example of some of their deception, which I don't love.
I don't necessarily agree that it's clear cut lying but I do think it's deceptive. Claims with asterisks are an awful invention by advertisers with lawyers. Price tags as widely understood do not encode savings beyond the time of sale.
Similarly, the public has a definition for what "unlimited" means and mobile carriers using asterisks to redefine the word is exploitative.
