Tesla’s ‘Self-Driving’ Claims Under Fire: California DMV Accuses Company Of Deception

In the scorching deserts of California, a storm brews around Tesla, the electric vehicle behemoth. A judge’s ruling has cast a shadow over the company’s claims of self-driving prowess, with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) accusing Tesla of deception. The terms “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving” have been deemed misleading, violating state law.

For years, Tesla has touted its advanced driver assist systems as a harbinger of autonomous transportation. However, the DMV asserts that these claims have been exaggerated, implying a level of autonomy that does not exist. The agency’s investigation revealed that Tesla’s marketing practices have been duplicitous, leading customers to believe that their vehicles can operate independently.

The consequences of this ruling are severe. Unless Tesla rectifies its marketing concerns within a 60-day window, the company faces a 30-day suspension of its license to sell cars in California, its largest US market. This could prove disastrous for Tesla, forcing the company to rebrand its driver assistance software and abandon its current nomenclature.

Tesla has vociferously denied these allegations, insisting that it has always been transparent about the limitations of its self-driving technology.