Tesla made misleading claims about it

New York
CNN
–

Tesla’s claims to autopilot and self-driving are again under fire, this time from the California Department of Motor Vehicles in a complaint it filed on July 28.

The complaint Alleged that the company provided “incorrect or misleading” statements in advertisements on Its website by claiming that Tesla Vehicles were, or could be, equipped with advanced driver assistance system features.

Tesla

(TSLA) The complaint said the ads were shown in marketing materials on the company’s website “on at least five dates” between May 2021 and July 2022.

It included descriptions like “autopilot” and “full self-driving capability” and used wording like “All you have to do is get in and tell your car where it’s going … a Tesla will determine the optimal path, navigate city streets, complex intersections and highways,” the lawsuit said.

Another claim that the California DMV claimed was misleading said, “The system is designed to be able to make short and long trips without any action required by the person in the driver’s seat.”

“These ads are deceptive practice” under California civil law, the DMV complaint said.

Tesla does not usually respond to requests for comment.

The complaint added that Tesla has published a disclaimer since last June, warning that the features still require active driver supervision, which conflicts with “misleading labels and claims.”

The complaint warned that Tesla’s advertising actions could result in it temporarily losing its manufacturer’s license and California private plate number.

Data released In June by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that there 273 accidents in the past nine months related to Tesla’s driver assistance technologies, due to Either its “fully self-driving” software or its predecessor, Tesla Autopilot.

The data found that of a total of 497 accidents studied by the NHTSA, 43% of accidents caused by driver assistance technologies occurred in California.

Tesla’s autopilot feature comes standard on all of its vehicles, making it one of the The most widely used autopilot systems in the industry. While Tesla reminds drivers to stay alert while using it, 2021 Study MIT It revealed that users who used the system were more distracted and looked out of the way than they were Driving without the feature.

Tesla has 15 days To respond to the complaint in order to avoid the decision in absentia.

The administration said this complaint is separate from continuous review of the intended design and technological capabilities of Tesla vehicles.

The Los Angeles Times was the first news outlet to report the complaint.