Complaint against Tesla in the US: No, its cars would not

Our colleagues at the Los Angeles Times, who had access to the complaints filed on July 28, have been repeating the conditions since last Friday.

For example, the DMV in California, which is responsible for motor vehicles, filed a complaint against the car manufacturer Tesla because it “made or disseminated false or misleading information and did not base it on facts”.

The manufacturer claims that its vehicles can be equipped with autonomous driving functions. Dubbed “Autopilot,” this system could allow the car, in its most advanced version, to perform all driving actions necessary for smooth traffic. At least, that’s what Tesla suggests.

But the DMV is questioning these claims and accusing the automaker of lying to consumers. According to the LA Times, she claims: “Tesla cars have never been able to function as autonomous vehicles and cannot today“. And the DMV blames Tesla more broadly.”an advertising language that gives these systems broader power than they actually have“.

The NHTSA is also investigating

The DMV is not the only one asking questions. For more than a year, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been investigating Tesla’s autopilot system, which was involved in 273 reported accidents through June 2022. This corresponds to 70% of the brand’s vehicles involved in this type of accident, with cars equipped with autonomous functions.

A DMV win could have huge consequences for Tesla, which could then be stripped of licenses to manufacture or sell its cars in California.

The corrections to be made by the manufacturer would still be quite simple and would mainly affect, according to a spokesman for the DMV.[de demander] Tesla to better inform and educate Tesla drivers about the true capabilities of its autopilot and fully self-driving features, including warning of the limitations of those features and other appropriate action in the face of violations“.

So, the Tesla, really autonomous, or is there a deception in the goods? What do the French owners say? We have our own idea, given the many videos that can easily be found on the web…