US Justice Dept investigating Tesla self-driving features

US Justice Dept investigating Tesla self-driving features

Tesla vehicles at the automaker's Fremont, California, factory in this file photo taken on February 10, 2022
Tesla vehicles at the automaker's Fremont, California, factory in this file photo taken on February 10, 2022. Photo: JOSH EDELSON / AFP/File
Source: AFP

PAY ATTENTION: Celebrate South African innovators, leaders and trailblazers with us! Click to check out Women of Wonder 2022 by Briefly News!

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.

Read also

GM profits rise after record quarter in North America

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

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app!

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.

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.

Read also

Philips cuts 6,000 more jobs after sleep device recall

"To our knowledge no government agency in any ongoing investigation has concluded that any wrongdoing occurred," Tesla said in its Tuesday filing.

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ click on “Recommended for you” and enjoy!

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.