The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has accused Tesla of falsely advertising its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technologies, as per Los Angeles Times.
The agency claimed that Tesla misled customers with the advertising language that they used on its website, which described Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technologies as "more capable than they actually are."
According to The Verge, two separate complaints were filed by the DMV with the state's Office of Administrative Hearings on July 28th.
Tesla Disseminated Misleading Information About its Cars' Features
According to DMV, the car company "made or disseminated statements that are untrue or misleading, and not based on facts."
The complaints of DMV pointed to Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features and to the "misleading" language indicated on the Tesla website's Autopilot page. It said: "All you will need to do is get in and tell your car where to go."
The website also say that not doing anything will make your car "look at your calendar and take you there as the assumed destination."
Moreover, Tesla's page indicated that the car will "figure out the optimal route, navigating urban streets, complex intersections and freeways."
There could be grave consequences according to DMV, as it could lead to revocation of Tesla's licenses to make or sell its cars in California. However, the agency may not go that far.
According to Los Angeles Times, a spokesperson from DMV said through email that if its action succeeds, the agency will ask Tesla to inform drivers the vehicles of the capabilities of the car's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features.
Likewise, the car company will be required to educate drivers of cautionary warnings about the limitation of the technologies.
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Authorities Question Tesla's Ads on Autopilot, Full Self-Driving Technologies
Autopilot is part of every Tesla vehicle. It comes with features like traffic-aware cruise control and autosteer, as per The Verge.
Meanwhile, Tesla owners need to shelve out an extra $12,000 for the car's Full Self-Driving system. This feature allows auto-parking and auto lane changing.
The Full Self-Driving technology also allows drivers to summon a vehicle from a parking space to where they're standing, as well as access to a beta program to test upcoming features.
Despite what the names suggest, the Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features of Tesla do not make vehicles fully autonomous. Drivers are still require to focus their attention to the road and keep their hands on the wheel all the time.
DMV claimed that vehicles equipped with advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) features cannot operate as fully autonomous vehicles. The filing said that the advertisements are deceptive.
Despite the disclaimers provided by Tesla, the agency pointed out that it's not sufficient to reverse its alleged misleading statements.
Tesla is given 15 days to respond to DMV's complaint. If none was heard from the car company, action will be taken by the agency without a hearing.
According to Engadget, Tesla also encountered issues with the Germany's Federal Motor Authority in 2016.
The Federal Motor Authority asked the car company not to use the the term "autopilot" in its advertising because people might misinterpret the capabilities of the car.
Likewise, Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal told the Federal Trade Commission last year to investigate Tesla for its "misleading advertising and marketing" of the Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technologies.
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