On March 10, 2026, South Korea's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) declared that it would levy a hefty fine of KRW 11.2 billion (equivalent to approximately US$7.61 million) on Mercedes-Benz. The fine was imposed due to the company's alleged act of misleading consumers regarding battery supplier details while selling its EQE and EQS electric vehicle models in the South Korean market. Mercedes-Benz provided sales guidelines to its dealers, which seemed to suggest that all models were equipped with CATL batteries. However, the reality was quite different. Around 3,000 vehicles, sold between June 2023 and August 2024, were actually fitted with battery cells from Farasis Energy. This crucial piece of information was conveniently kept from the market. The FTC, after thorough investigation, concluded that such behavior amounted to unfair commercial promotion. As a result, it decided to impose the maximum penalty, which was 4% of the sales involved. Moreover, both the headquarters and the South Korean division of Mercedes-Benz have been referred to the prosecutors for further legal action.