Tesla's AutoPilot semi-autonomous technology has been in 37 accidents
Musk Led Effort To Exaggerate
Self-Driving Capabilities Tesla Faces Legal and Regulatory Challenges
January 20, 2023
Tesla CEO Elon Musk personally dictated language used in a company video which, critics charge, overstated the capabilities of Tesla's Autopilot driver-assistance system.
Autopilot, as well as the more advanced Full Self-Driving system (FSD), have come under intense fire from critics who contend they are not nearly as capable of hands-free driving as Tesla claims.
Musk Claims
In an e-mail sent October 2016, Musk wrote to the team developing Autopilot, claiming that,
with Autopilot, Tesla vehicles would be
capable of driving themselves.
“I will be telling the world that this is what the car *will* be able to do, not that it can do this,” Musk wrote the team, according to internal e-mails obtained by Bloomberg.
Critics Contend
Critics point to a growing list of crashes (many fatal) involving Autopilot and Full Self-Driving. They contend that,
Tesla and Musk have done little to
counter public perception that Autopilot can be operated fully hands-free
With lawsuits, regulatory actions and even the possibility of criminal action hanging over its head, Tesla’s emphasis on Autopilot and the newer Full Self-Driving system could prove to be a serious liability.
