Tesla, the clean energy automaker, is under criminal investigation in the U.S. over claims regarding the company’s Autopilot system, Reuters reported.
The prosecutors are investigating whether Tesla had falsely deceived customers with unsubstantiated claims involving the vehicle’s self-driving abilities.
However, the case may be difficult to prove for the Justice Department because of Tesla’s warning and language surrounding the Autopilot system, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
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The company claims that, while Autopilot allows the car to “drive itself,” a passenger must be in the driver’s seat for “legal reasons,” and cautions that before activating Autopilot, the driver must “keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times” and “maintain control and responsibility for your vehicle.”
For the investigation to substantiate its claims that Tesla misled consumers, the prosecutors would need to find internal communication between Tesla and Musk making outright misleading statements about the self-driving capabilities that demonstrate negligence, said former U.S. attorney Barbara McQuade, who is not involved with the case, per Reuters.
“Investigators still have much work to do and no decision on charges is imminent,” another source told the outlet.
Still, this isn’t the first time Tesla is under legal investigation linked to the automaker’s claims that its cars can drive themselves. In August of 2021, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration carried out an investigation after a series of accidents (with one fatality) wherein Tesla vehicles crashed while Autopilot was activated.
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Meanwhile, Musk announced last week that Tesla would be releasing “Full Self Driving” technology that would allow consumers to ride “to your work, your friend’s house, to the grocery store without you touching the wheel,” Reuters reported.