Tesla under criminal investigation in U.S
Hands on the steering wheel in a car but without actually grasping it. The Autopilot function of Tesla has been a key component of the company’s marketing materials and a boon to consumer recruitment drives.
According to a person familiar with the situation, US authorities are looking into whether Tesla made false statements regarding the capabilities of its Autopilot driver assistance system.
According to the individual who asked to remain anonymous when discussing the inquiry, the Justice Department’s Washington and San Francisco offices are looking into representations made by the electric vehicle manufacturer and its officials regarding the capability of Tesla cars to drive themselves. Requests for comment on the probe, which was first reported by Reuters, were turned down by the Justice Department and Tesla representatives.
On March 22, 2022, close to Gruenheide, Germany, Tesla CEO Elon Musk attended the formal opening of the new Tesla electric car manufacturing facility. The Model Y as well as the batteries for electric vehicles are produced at the new facility, formally known as the Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg.
The safety of Tesla’s autonomous driving systems has come under growing scrutiny from U.S. regulators, and in February it will face its first jury trial over a driver fatality that Autopilot is accused of being responsible. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is looking into the function, and they’ve asked the firm for explanations on how they’re tracking and enforcing driver participation and attention, particularly how they’re using in-car cameras.
The Justice Department’s criminal investigation is still active, although charges may not be filed as a result. Apparently, it started last year, said the source.
The feature, meantime, has been a crucial component of the business’s marketing materials and helps with customer-attraction campaigns.
Developing fully autonomous driving technology, according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, is “truly the difference between Tesla being worth a lot of money and being worth virtually zero,” he said in a June speech to a group of Tesla owners.
