Focus

US Justice Dept investigating Tesla self-driving features

01 Feb 2023 02:07pm
(FILES) In this file photo taken on February 10, 2022, an aerial view shows cars parked at the Tesla Fremont Factory in Fremont, California. - Tesla reported another round of record quarterly profits on January 25, 2023, while confirming its long-term production outlook in spite of concerns about rising competition and macroeconomic headwinds. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP)
(FILES) In this file photo taken on February 10, 2022, an aerial view shows cars parked at the Tesla Fremont Factory in Fremont, California. - Tesla reported another round of record quarterly profits on January 25, 2023, while confirming its long-term production outlook in spite of concerns about rising competition and macroeconomic headwinds. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP)
A
A
A
New York - - The US Department of Justice has opened an investigation into Tesla's driver-assistance features, the company said Tuesday in a financial document.

The filing comes amid an ongoing National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) review of the electric carmaker's "Autopilot" system.

"The company has received requests from the DOJ for documents related to Tesla's Autopilot and FSD (full self-driving) features," the Securities and Exchange Commission filing said Tuesday.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has regularly promised that a fully autonomous vehicle is just around the corner, but his cars still only feature "driving assistance" -- which helps drivers change lanes or identify stop signs -- and not full autonomy that would allow drivers to look away from the road.

The company did not say what exactly the requests were, but according to media reports, the department is looking into whether Tesla's claims about the reliability of its driver assistance systems could leave drivers with a false sense of security.

This is not the first time Tesla's public marketing statements have come under regulatory scrutiny.

On its website, Tesla says its Autopilot and its Full Self Driving Capability options "require a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment."

But National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy in 2021 told CNBC that using the term "full self-driving" is "misleading."

And the California Department of Motor Vehicles last year filed a complaint against the company for using advertising language that could make its products seem more capable than they are.
Related Articles:


According to a report from Bloomberg, the Justice Department investigation has been opened for similar reasons.

The NHTSA's probe includes investigations into several safety incidents associated with the driver assistance systems.

"To our knowledge no government agency in any ongoing investigation has concluded that any wrongdoing occurred," Tesla said in its Tuesday filing. - AFP
tesla
autopilot
investigations
us justice
More Like This
By 2050, 10.8 million elderly people will be living alone. (Illustrative photo by AFP)
By 2050, 10.8 million elderly people will be living alone. (Illustrative photo by AFP)
World Elderly living alone to make up a fifth of Japanese households by 2050 - Study
By 2050, 10.8 million elderly people will be living alone.
Birds fly collected along the coast in the Vadso municipality of Finnmark in Norway following a major outbreak of bird flu on July 20, 2023. - Photo by AFP
Birds fly collected along the coast in the Vadso municipality of Finnmark in Norway following a major outbreak of bird flu on July 20, 2023. - Photo by AFP
World H5N1 strain of bird flu found in milk: WHO
Bird-to-cow, cow-to-cow and cow-to-bird transmissions have also been registered during these current outbreaks, which suggested that the virus may have found other routes of transition than previously understood.
A man rides a motorbike past a billboard depicting Iranian ballistic missiles in service in Tehran on April 19, 2024. Iran's state media reported explosions in the central province of Isfahan on April 19, as US media quoted officials saying Israel had carried out retaliatory strikes on its arch-rival. (Photo by AFP)
A man rides a motorbike past a billboard depicting Iranian ballistic missiles in service in Tehran on April 19, 2024. Iran's state media reported explosions in the central province of Isfahan on April 19, as US media quoted officials saying Israel had carried out retaliatory strikes on its arch-rival. (Photo by AFP)
World IAEA says 'no damage to Iran's nuclear sites'
The agency called for 'extreme restraint from everybody' and added that 'nuclear facilities should never be a target in military conflicts'.
Photo by AFP
Photo by AFP
World Japan doctors sue Google Maps over 'punching bag' reviews
The medics are seeking 1.4 million yen ($9,000) in total damages from Google in a bid to hold the US tech titan accountable for inaction over the reviews.