The US Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into Tesla in connection with its claims about the capabilities of the autopilot system. Writes about it Reuters.
According to the sources of the publication, the case was opened in 2021 after a dozen accidents, including fatal ones, involving Tesla drones.
Investigations can result in criminal charges, punitive damages, or the closure of the case with no consequences.
The interlocutors of the publication said that federal prosecutors are in no hurry to make a decision. This is likely linked to two other Justice Department investigations into Tesla.
“Investigators have a lot of work to do and no decision has yet been made on the charges,” sources familiar with the situation said.
They also believe that prosecutors may find it difficult to build a case of false marketing promises due to regular statements by company representatives about the inadmissibility of autopilot abuse.
In October 2022, Musk told investors that Tesla’s electric vehicles could achieve level 5 autonomy and drive without human intervention in the near future. However, he stressed that the driver would still have to be behind the wheel so that in an emergency he would take control of the vehicle.
“We’re not saying we’re fully prepared for the absence of anyone behind the wheel,” Musk said.
Tesla’s website also warns that the driver must first agree to “always keep their hands on the wheel” and “remain in control and responsibility of their vehicle” before engaging autopilot.
The investigation was commented by former US Attorney in Detroit Barbara McQuaid, who previously worked on cases of automobile companies. She believes investigators will likely need to uncover evidence such as emails or other internal communications. They may indicate whether Musk and Tesla made misleading claims about Autopilot capabilities on purpose.
Previously, the owners of robotic vehicles filed a class-action lawsuit against the company because of the allegedly false advertising of driver assistance systems.
Recall that in August the California Department of Motor Vehicles accused Tesla of using misleading advertising for the autopilot system.
In June, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a report on accidents involving robocars.
Subscribe to Cryplogger news in Telegram: Cryplogger AI – all the news from the world of AI!
Found a mistake in the text? Select it and press CTRL+ENTER
The US Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into Tesla in connection with its claims about the capabilities of the autopilot system. Writes about it Reuters.
According to the sources of the publication, the case was opened in 2021 after a dozen accidents, including fatal ones, involving Tesla drones.
Investigations can result in criminal charges, punitive damages, or the closure of the case with no consequences.
The interlocutors of the publication said that federal prosecutors are in no hurry to make a decision. This is likely linked to two other Justice Department investigations into Tesla.
“Investigators have a lot of work to do and no decision has yet been made on the charges,” sources familiar with the situation said.
They also believe that prosecutors may find it difficult to build a case of false marketing promises due to regular statements by company representatives about the inadmissibility of autopilot abuse.
In October 2022, Musk told investors that Tesla’s electric vehicles could achieve level 5 autonomy and drive without human intervention in the near future. However, he stressed that the driver would still have to be behind the wheel so that in an emergency he would take control of the vehicle.
“We’re not saying we’re fully prepared for the absence of anyone behind the wheel,” Musk said.
Tesla’s website also warns that the driver must first agree to “always keep their hands on the wheel” and “remain in control and responsibility of their vehicle” before engaging autopilot.
The investigation was commented by former US Attorney in Detroit Barbara McQuaid, who previously worked on cases of automobile companies. She believes investigators will likely need to uncover evidence such as emails or other internal communications. They may indicate whether Musk and Tesla made misleading claims about Autopilot capabilities on purpose.
Previously, the owners of robotic vehicles filed a class-action lawsuit against the company because of the allegedly false advertising of driver assistance systems.
Recall that in August the California Department of Motor Vehicles accused Tesla of using misleading advertising for the autopilot system.
In June, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a report on accidents involving robocars.
Subscribe to Cryplogger news in Telegram: Cryplogger AI – all the news from the world of AI!
Found a mistake in the text? Select it and press CTRL+ENTER
