Tesla said that with its technology, "cars can drive automatically." Sources told Reuters that prosecutors are asking whether such claims have mislead consumers, investors and regulators. Three people familiar with the matter said Tesla is undergoing criminal investigation in the United States because the company claims that the company's electric car can drive automatically.
The U.S. Department of Justice launched an unpublished investigation last year after more than a dozen car accidents, some of which were fatal, involving Tesla's driver-assistance system Autopilot, which was activated in the accident.
As early as 2016, Tesla's marketing materials had already touted Autopilot's capabilities. On a conference call that year, the CEO of the Silicon Valley car manufacturer Elon Musk described it as "probably better than human drivers."
Last week, Musk said on another conference call that Tesla will soon release an upgraded version of the "fully autonomous driving" software, allowing customers to "go to your workplace, friends' homes and grocery stores without touching the steering wheel."
Currently a video on the company's website says: "The person sitting in the driver's seat is only for legal reasons. He does nothing. The car drives it by himself."
However, the company also explicitly warns drivers that when using Autopilot, they must put their hands on the steering wheel and maintain control of the vehicle.
The company said on its website that Tesla technology is designed to assist in steering, braking, speed and lane transformation, but its function "does not make vehicles autonomous."
Sources said such warnings could complicate any cases the Justice Department may wish to file.
Tesla dissolved its media relations department in 2020 and did not respond to a written question from Reuters on Wednesday. Musk also did not respond to written questions seeking comment. A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment.
Musk said in an interview with Automotive News in 2020 that the Autopilot problem stems from customers using the system in a way that violates Tesla's instructions.
Federal and CALIFORNIA security regulators have been reviewing whether claims about Autopilot's functionality and system design will give customers a false sense of security, leading them to see Tesla as a true driverless car and sit on the steering wheel complacently with potentially fatal consequences.
The Justice Department investigation may represent a stricter scrutiny because criminal charges may be filed against companies or individual executives. What do you think about this...
