Rumor: US investigating whether Tesla lied about Autopilot features | Tweakers

U.S. prosecutors are looking into whether Tesla executives misled customers and investors about the capabilities of its Autopilot feature. That’s what the news agency writes Reuters based on information from three anonymous sources.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, among others, is said to have made several statements suggesting that Tesla cars with this function can drive independently. In reality that is not possible. Autopilot is mainly intended to support motorists. The functions help with steering, braking and changing lanes, but are not fully self-driving.

Although Tesla warns users on its website to remain alert while using these features and to hold the steering wheel at all times, other statements would have encouraged abuse.

The news agency writes that it does not know which statements are involved. Tesla does link on its website to a demonstration video of Autopilot in which it says that ‘the person in the driver’s seat is only there for legal reasons’. “It doesn’t do anything. The car drives itself.” Musk also previously called Autopilot ‘probably better’ than a human. However, it is unclear whether these are some of the statements under investigation.

The ministry is investigating whether Tesla made these unsubstantiated statements wire and securities fraud has committed. The investigation may result in criminal charges or civil penalties, or no action may be taken. It is not known when the results are expected.

A long-term study by the American traffic regulator National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed last April that many Tesla users overestimate the capabilities of Autopilot. Drivers expect the function to work much more independently than is actually the case, which means they no longer pay attention to the road.

According to the regulator, such misunderstandings have led to more than 400 accidents, thirteen of which proved fatal. It was concluded that this is partly Tesla’s own fault, as the automaker had not added enough safety measures to prevent misuse of the driver assistance system.

The name ‘Autopilot’ would also play a role in this misconception. The name suggests that this mode allows the car to drive autonomously, while a name with ‘assist’ or ‘team’ in it describes it better, the government body claimed.

In December, Tesla released an update to the Autopilot feature that should add “additional controls and notifications.” This provides drivers with a clearer reminder to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road, for example with larger visual notifications. NHTSA is still investigating whether these measures are sufficient to address concerns.